Strong winds, heavy rain and saturated ground can affect trees even when they appear to have survived a storm without obvious damage. Branches can crack, root systems can shift and trees may develop a new lean or other structural problems that aren’t immediately obvious.
After severe weather, inspect your trees from a safe position on the ground. If you notice significant damage, avoid standing beneath affected branches or attempting to remove them yourself. A professional arborist can assess the damage and determine whether pruning, monitoring or tree removal is required.
Look for leaning trees:
It is easy to assume that if a tree remained standing during a storm, it is stable. However, heavy rain and strong winds can affect the root system or surrounding soil and cause a tree to develop a new lean.
Look for trees that are leaning differently than they were before the storm, particularly if you can also see lifted or cracked soil around the base. If you notice a new or increasing lean, have the tree assessed by an arborist to determine what action is required.
Check for Trees or Branches Near Powerlines:
High winds can bring down branches or powerlines and may leave trees or vegetation in contact with electrical infrastructure.
If a tree or branch is touching a fallen or damaged powerline, stay well away and do not touch the tree, branch, fence or anything else that may be in contact with the line. Treat fallen powerlines as live and report them to Energex or emergency services where required.
Do not attempt to prune or remove affected branches yourself.
Check for Broken or Hanging Branches:
Storms can crack or partially break branches without bringing them completely to the ground. Look up from a safe position for branches that are broken, split, hanging or sitting differently within the canopy.
Large hanging branches can fall after the storm has passed, particularly if the tree is exposed to further wind. Avoid walking or parking underneath damaged sections until they have been assessed.
Check the Ground Around the Tree:
Don’t only look at the canopy. Heavy rainfall can saturate soil and affect how securely a tree is anchored.
Look for newly exposed roots, cracked or lifted soil around the base of the tree, movement in the root plate or areas where soil has washed away. Changes that have appeared after the storm are particularly important to have assessed.
When to Call an Arborist After a Storm
If you find a newly leaning tree, damaged major branches, movement around the root zone or other significant storm damage, an arborist can assess whether the tree can be retained and what work may be required.
Treesafe provides post-storm tree assessments, pruning, tree removal and emergency tree response across Brisbane Southside and the Gold Coast. Contact us to assist with your storm cleanup of damaged trees.