Storm Damaged Trees
After Hurricane Helene, there are many damaged and toppled large trees. There is little we as normal people can do to clean up these large trees. Mostly it will be up to the brave tree crews locally to clean up that mess.
We should avoid standing beneath any storm damaged or hanging limb. Falling limbs may weigh hundreds of pounds and can gain a great deal of speed as they fall, causing serious bodily injury. Mark the area with caution tape until tree crews arrive.
If you notice trees that seem to have leaned since the storm, you should hire a consulting arborist to inspect the tree. Contact our office for a list. A leaning tree can be a sign that the tree is less stable than it was before the storm. An arborist can evaluate the relative safety of a tree and recommend a course of action.
Mitigating Storm Damage on Small Trees and Shrubs
Small landscape trees and shrubs may also be damaged during storms. Often limbs from larger trees will fall onto these plants. This can break branches, scuff bark or worse, totally flatten and/or dislodge landscape plants.
Often, storm damage to evergreen plants is not apparent until the following spring. A broken evergreen tree branch may retain its green color until the next spring. It would be easy to wrongly blame this damage on insects, disease or other problems.
Assess the Damage
Before removing broken branches from a tree, first determine whether the tree can be repaired, or if it should be removed completely. If the main trunk is completely broken or if the tree is completely uprooted, it should be removed.
Some broken branches can be either repaired or pruned. Some branches broken at a crotch can be lifted into place, then bolted and cabled. This should be done immediately after the damage. If the exposed parts dry out the wound probably will not heal.
Remediating Damage
If your trees suffered broken branches, they need first aid fast. Clean up wounds on trees and shrubs left from broken branches by making a smooth cut back to the main trunk or main branch. It is not necessary to use a pruning paint on the wounds.
MORE ON PRUNING
To remove broken branches, first cut the broken branch back to the nearest branch or to the tree trunk. Remove large branches with three cuts. This will prevent splintering and peeling of the bark on the main trunk. Make the first cut upward from the bottom of the branch about 12 inches from the next branch. Cut about halfway through the branch, or until the saw begins to pitch. Make the second cut five or six inches farther out and continue cutting until the branch falls. With a third cut, remove the stub cleanly without peeling.
Leaning trees can be straightened. Pull the tree with a ratchet strap or other winching device. As the tree becomes vertical, the root ball needs to settle back into its former home without obstacles.
Then use strong rope or wire tied to sturdy stakes to hold the tree in place until the roots get anchored again. (If you use wire, pad it thickly where it touches the trunk.) The old trick of using a short piece of water hose to pad the wire is better than nothing. Wide nylon strapping is much less likely to harm the tree’s trunk.
The roots under the root ball, although you can’t see them, may have snapped when they were bent at such an acute angle. For that reason, plan to water your righted tree as if it were newly planted. Pay special attention to its needs in summer 2025. If the tree is too large to upright, cut it up and use it for firewood. If the damaged tree is an evergreen, such as magnolia or holly, it may wilt because of root loss. Wait several days to see if wilting occurs. If it does, prune back the canopy by one-third to compensate for the loss of roots.
