Are your trees safe after Sally? Tree expert recommends getting them looked at
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MOBILE, AL (WALA) — When Hurricane Sally hit the Gulf Coast, trees in our area took a beating.
Thousands ended up on the ground after hours of ferocious winds.
For the ones that are still standing, now is the time to act to make sure they are safe.
“Half the tree fell on his house and the other half fell on our house,” said Oliver Dorgan.
Sally’s winds hit hard. In neighborhoods throughout Mobile and Baldwin counties trees littered the ground.
“I actually stayed up all night long watching the tree because I knew something was going to happen with the amount of wind we were having,” Dorgan said.
With the storm gone, Peter Toler the City of Mobile Urban Forester says now is the time to check the trees that remain.
“The one that is most concerning is a leaning tree, a crack that could be a multiplicity of reasons, but if you have a learning tree that wasn’t leaning before you have an issue,” he said.
The focus should be on specific trees in your yard that could cause costly damage. Toler said that will save the most money in the end.
“If a tree is over a house you want to gauge the likelihood of failure, the likelihood of contacting the target and the consequences associated with it,” he said.
A green tree does not indicate a healthy tree and Toler said just because there is an issue does not mean it needs to be removed. He says cracks, hangers and split trees can also be a concern.
“No tree is ever completely free of risk however a certified individual can guide you to lower that risk of that tree to an acceptable level,” he said.
Just like everything beware of scammers. Toler says make sure you verify their credentials as a certified arborist and do not make decisions based on emotions.
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