Wind shrieks, thunder booms, lightning crashes and then it\u2019s all over. What about your trees?<\/p>\n
\u201cBig, windy storms often bring down tree branches, but they also can create tree damage that isn\u2019t as obvious,\u201d said Sharon Yiesla, plant knowledge specialist in the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum in Lisle. Here\u2019s some advice on how to safely deal with a storm-damaged tree.<\/p>\n
Look around for power lines.<\/strong> If a downed tree limb is lying on or near a utility line, don\u2019t touch it or try to move it, even if it\u2019s blocking a street. Live electricity can be lethal. Stay clear and call the utility to report it immediately.<\/p>\n Respect the weight of wood.<\/strong> \u201cA large fallen tree branch can weigh hundreds of pounds,\u201d she said. \u201cIf it shifts or slips when you\u2019re trying to move it, it can cause serious injury.\u201d Cut the branch up in place, if you can, or enlist several people to help you move it out of the street.<\/p>\n Call a licensed, certified arborist to inspect the damage.<\/strong> Tree companies are busy right after storms, so they may not be able to come out immediately, but the sooner you call, the higher you will be on the list. \u201cThey may come sooner if you\u2019re an established customer because you\u2019ve been having your trees inspected on a regular basis,\u201d Yiesla said.<\/p>\n Check the tree for cracks.<\/strong> The wrenching wind that broke a branch may have cracked parts of the tree that didn\u2019t fall. \u201cCracks in a tree\u2019s wood can\u2019t heal or be mended, and they can make the limb or trunk weak and unsafe,\u201d she said. \u201cThat part of the tree needs to be safely removed by a professional.\u201d<\/p>\n Look for damage that has been hidden.<\/strong> Examine the interior wood that was exposed when a branch fell. Dark areas can indicate rot \u2014 which may have contributed to the break. \u201cRot weakens the wood,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Steer clear of a leaning tree.<\/strong> If a tree is no longer standing straight, the wind may have yanked it from the anchorage of its roots. \u201cIt\u2019s likely to be unstable,\u201d Yiesla said. \u201cKeep people away and have an arborist evaluate whether it can be saved.\u201d<\/p>\n Be prepared to pay.<\/strong> Tree work can be expensive; clearing up a tree after a storm may cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. But the large, mature trees around your home add tens of thousands of dollars to its value, in addition to the shade and beauty they bring to you. \u201cIt\u2019s an important investment in your safety and in the health and longevity of your trees,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Work with trained professionals.<\/strong> Certified arborists have the expertise to evaluate trees and safely do the work needed in the aftermath of a storm. They can also give trees regular upkeep to help make them more resilient in storms. Find a certified arborist through the websites of the Illinois Arborist Association (illinoisarborist.org<\/a>) or the International Society of Arboriculture (treesaregood.org\/findanarborist<\/a>).<\/p>\n For tree and plant advice, contact the Plant Clinic at The Morton Arboretum (630-719-2424, mortonarb.org\/plant-clinic<\/a>, or plantclinic@mortonarb.org<\/a>). Beth Botts is a staff writer at the Arboretum.<\/p>\n Originally Published: July 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM CDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wind shrieks, thunder booms, lightning crashes and then it\u2019s all over. What about your trees? \u201cBig, windy storms…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":44401,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[746,20240,1370,159,1072,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-44400","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-home-and-garden","10":"tag-latest-headlines","11":"tag-science","12":"tag-things-to-do","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114808565552511861","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44400\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/44401"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=44400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=44400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}