Storm-proofing your trees before the next Wisconsin storm

Wisconsin summers bring the storms that do the real damage: straight-line winds, saturated ground, and the occasional weekend that snaps limbs like matchsticks. Here's the part most people don't realize: the tree that comes down on the garage was usually showing warning signs for months. Storm damage is mostly predictable, which means it's mostly preventable.

Here's what makes a tree a risk, and what you can do before the next front rolls through.

What actually makes a tree fail in a storm

It's rarely the whole healthy tree. It's the weak point that finally gives:

• Dead or hanging limbs. Deadwood has no flex. It's the first thing to come down, and it's the easiest to remove ahead of time.
• Cracks and weak forks. Where two trunks grow from the same point with bark pinched between them (a "included bark" union), that seam is a split waiting to happen in high wind.
• A dense, un-thinned canopy. A thick crown acts like a sail. Wind can't pass through it, so it pushes the whole tree instead.
• Lean and root problems. A new lean, soil heaving or cracking on one side of the base, or mushrooms at the root flare all point to a compromised anchor.

What you can do NOW

• Walk your trees and look up. Dead limbs, cracks, and hanging branches over the house, driveway, or where people sit are the priorities.
• Have the hazards removed before the storm, not after. Clearing deadwood and cabling or removing a weak union is far cheaper and safer than an emergency call at 11pm in the rain.
• Thin the canopy the right way. Selective thinning lets wind pass through and takes load off the limbs. Done properly it makes a tree markedly more wind-firm.

The one thing that makes it worse: topping

If a storm does hit

• Downed lines are not a tree job. If a limb is on a power line, stay clear and call your utility. Never assume a line is dead.
• Leave the big stuff to a pro. A limb under tension or a partially fallen tree can move violently when cut. That's exactly how DIY cleanup turns into an ER trip.
• Call for the hangers and cracks, too. The branch left dangling after a storm is the one that comes down on someone next week.

Get ahead of it

A pre-storm look-over is one of the cheapest things you can do for your property, and the best time is before the forecast, not after. If you want a certified arborist to walk your trees and flag what's actually a risk, reach out. We serve all of southeastern Wisconsin.

Johannes Tree Care — certified arborists, southeastern Wisconsin.