We saw many ways trees can fail, in whole or part during the storms encountered this year. Some were unavoidable in the above average winds, many we may have had a hand in creating. Our quest for more and more paved surfaces has had a less than desirable effect on the urban forest and in many cases has created safety issues that may not be easily detected.
Case in point: this tree began the downward spiral when the decision was made to put in a driveway and retaining wall. The original root system was compromised by a cut-and-fill and the support system on the driveway side ultimately became inadequate to support the massive canopy above. When the winds gusted to seventy miles per hour in a direction against the damaged root system below, down it came. Fortunately little more than a play-set and some landscape fixtures suffered any serious damage.
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Many of this tree's roots were severed during installation
of the driveway, creating an unsafe situation. |
If you see a similar situation in or around your property, it’s best to get a professional opinion before the next storm rears its head.
