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Dina Freedman ReportingDuring yesterday's rowdy weather, many trees were toppled over, some big and old, others small and newer. There are a few things homeowners can do when they plant new trees to make them more resilient, but if you have a tree that's been there since you owned the home, you really just don't know how deep the roots go, and that's the key.
Trees of all sizes were blown over yesterday and the culprit was easy to identify -- severe storms. The whole deal with severe storms is you don't start to get damage really from winds until the storms meet severe criteria, which is winds of 58 mph.
Once those winds get to that speed, trees come down, roofs can get damaged, and when the wind gets up into that 70 to 90 mph range, you can bet you're going to have more damage than just a few loose branches. As far as prevention goes, the key is to make your trees stronger when they are younger.
JayDee Gunnell, Davis Cty. Horticulturist USU: "But the key to any tree's root system is the roots will go where the water is, and so we tend to water for our lawn and the water only goes down 2 to 4 inches. And those trees, they need a deeper water. Certain other species break up a lot in the wind, willows are very susceptible to wind damage because of the branch angles."
JayDee told us there's a few trees that have shallower root systems, thus are a little weaker -- Colorado Spruce, Silver Maple and Mulberry and some in the Poplar Family. Also, check your trees, and make sure they aren't infested with insects. Those trees could definitely fall down in a storm. And plant your trees at least 15 feet away from your home.
