Canopy of catastrophe: 'That could have killed someone'
SPRINGFIELD, Ore. - Weather, time and gravity finally claimed the familiar Siberian Elm at the intersection of 10th Street and Centennial Boulevard, one of many trees along the busy stretch of road that have been damaged due to heavy rainfall this spring.
Usually by June, arborist Alby Thoumsin is pruning and trimming: the regular maintenance that keeps trees healthy.
But this spring, the unseasonably wet spring has uprooted a number of new challenges.
"Every single leaf of the tree is like a little platform that accumulates water," Thoumsin said. The weight of the moisture that each leaf retains creates a canopy of potential hazards.
But a wet month of May means less pruning - and more tree removal.
And for many arborists, while the rainfall has been good for business, Thoumsin said he longs for sunshine.
"It's unfair for the trees, but yeah it will help eventually," said the arborist.
Arborists compare taking care of trees to taking care of your car: preventative maintenance on a tree can be the difference between a $200 checkup and a $2,000 catastrophe.
"The short story is, it costs a lot less to have a visit than to have to remove the tree later on," said Thoumsin.
KVAL News visited the site of a tree that crashed down on top of a car this past week. KVAL YouNews reporter klupenger posted photos of the aftermath on KVAL.com, and KVAL 13 News shared the photographs on TV.
"That could have killed someone," Thoumsin said of what remains of the large elm tree.
While many homeowners are left trying to gather remaining debris and broken branches left in the yards from rainy weather, the arborist says there are a few signs you can look for to safeguard the trees on your property.
Some of the warning signs include:
- an unusual lean
- cracked branches
- branches that don't taper in diameter size
- multiple trunks
- wet soil that doesn't root trees properly
