Hurricane Irene, also known as tropical storm Irene in these parts, has come and gone. She left behind a sunny day and a bit of tree damage in her wake.

Damage to trees in the north shore was mild to moderate, depending on your location. From my observations, most of the trees and limbs that came down from the high winds were trees and limbs that I would have expected to come down. Some trees we can expect to fail in mild weather conditions, such as white pine, willow, red maple, or black locust, due to their softer wood or inherently poor structure. Other tree failures were caused by structural defects within the tree, such as a heavy lean, included bark, internal decay, or dead limbs.

In the wake of the storm, we have received numerous calls from homeowners that did not suffer any significant tree damage, in addition to those that did. These folks, realizing that they may have some potential tree problems, want us to come out to inspect their trees, and make any necessary recommendations, and deal with any problematic trees before the next big storm. Sometimes it is necessary to remove a healthy looking tree- we must remember that a tree's health is not a good reflection of it's structural integrity. A healthy tree can live with severe decay or other predisposed problems, which is why it is important to have a certified arborist periodically inspect your trees. This is important not only to improve the health of your trees, but to maintain the safety of your home and family.

Please contact Mayer Tree Service if you would like to learn more about hazardous trees, or to have a certified arborist meet with you to inspect your landscape for any potential problems.

Jeff