Can we talk about how much tree work changes after a storm hits

I came across a stat from the ISA website that said over 60% of storm related tree failures happen to trees that already had hidden decay or cracks. That surprised me because I always assumed it was mostly about wind speed or rain. Last month after that big wind came through our town in Ohio I saw three big oaks go down and every single one had old rot inside. Has anyone else noticed that most of the damage comes from trees we thought looked fine?

3 comments

3 Comments

margareto261mo ago

Four out of five trees on my block that fell last spring had root rot nobody spotted until they were on the ground. It makes me think about houses and cars too - the things that look solid on the outside are usually hiding the real trouble. We just don't see the weak spots until something forces them to show.

jana_jones1mo ago

Wait wilson.joseph, aren't you just assuming the rotted roots weren't the REAL problem underneath?

wilson.joseph1mo ago

Oh man, that's a really good point and I actually think there's a hidden factor nobody brings up: the soil. In my experience, the real issue isn't just the rot in the tree but the ground getting so saturated that the whole root ball just gives way. I've seen trees that looked absolutely perfect above ground, no cracks or anything, but after a heavy rain the soil turns to mush and the roots have nothing to hold onto. That wind you mentioned, it doesn't have to be super strong to topple a tree if the ground is like a sponge. Take this with a grain of salt, but I'd bet if you looked at the ones that failed, the soil was completely waterlogged, not just the trunk was weak. It's a combo deal, the hidden decay plus the ground being too soft, that makes them go down so easy.