Ice Accumulation Can Be Devastating to Trees - What to Do

The newest storm to hit the Northeast will hit this evening, barely after some people have time to dig out from Monday’s storm.  I half expect to look out the window in the morning to see that ice has torn a couple of big limbs off our elderly 75’ oak tree and deposited them in the street out front.

This ice-storm-laden winter has literally torn apart thousands of area trees, snapped off many more at the base and even toppled some weak-rooted ones, with even more severe damage expected through to tomorrow evening. Light coatings don’t faze most trees, but with a quarter to one-half inch layer of ice expected, small branches and weak limbs will start to snap, and beyond that, the big ones will begin to go.

If you have damage, or require services for debris removal as a result of damaged trees during an ice storm, first call your insurance agentdirectly regarding specific questions you may have about your policy coverage.

Next you may need to determine whether to keep or cut winter-damaged trees.  

• A large tree is now leaning, and it’s near a house or sidewalk. Get it removed ASAP.

• Small tree away from house or sidewalk is leaning.  It is best to allow the ice to melt and allow the tree to slowly resume its natural shape.

•  Several large limbs are cracked and hanging. Have them removed ASAP. If 50 percent or more of the canopy is intact, it’s worth trying to keep the tree.

• Competing leaders (two trunks in a “V” shape) have split down the middle. A small, partial split can be cabled together by an arborist, but a big split usually is fatal.

• Just one branch came off, but it was a big one on a mature tree. It’s usually salvageable. Make a clean cut and look for signs of decay. If the break exposes a large amount of decay already taking place, it’s probably time to say goodbye.

Some guidelines to follow may be found at the Arbor Day Foundation website.

Warning: Any repairs that involve a ladder and/or chainsaw should be handled by a professional or trained arborist!  Otherwise, if it’s a job you feel you can tackle, use caution and wear protective eye covering.  Do not work on ice-coated trees – let the ice melt first.  Never touch a tree close to electrical wires.

Note: When hiring a company to prune or remove your ice-damaged tree, make sure to hire a professional. After a storm it is common for people to stop by and offer to do the work. Many times these individuals have little or no experience in doing this high risk work and may either injure themselves or damage the tree further. Tree owners should hire only companies that have worker compensation insurance for their employees and general liability insurance.