Hidden storm damage often shows up days, weeks or even months later as new cracks, loosened bark, a gradual lean, dying branches or mushrooms at the base. A tree that looks fine the morning after a storm can still have damaged roots, internal cracks or weakened branch unions that aren’t easy to see.
Keeping an eye on trees in the weeks after severe weather helps catch these problems before they cause a failure.
Why Some Damage Isn’t Obvious Right Away
Strong wind can twist and bend a tree, stressing the wood inside the trunk and where large branches attach. The bark may look normal even if the wood beneath has cracked.
Roots can also be strained or broken when a tree sways hard in saturated soil. The tree may stay upright for a while before the damage shows up as a lean or decline.
Signs to Watch for Over Time
Check trees near your home again a week or two after a storm, and again later in the season. Look for cracks that weren’t there before, bark that is loose or peeling in strips and gaps opening up where two main stems join.
At the base, watch for soil that is cracking, mounding or pulling away from the trunk, and for new mushrooms or fungal growth. In the canopy, look for leaves wilting or browning on certain branches, early leaf drop or branches that fail to leaf out the next spring.
Branches That Were Hit or Rubbed
Falling limbs from higher in the tree or from neighboring trees can strike lower branches on the way down. Those branches may be cracked or partly broken but still hanging on.
Branches that rubbed hard against each other or against a roof during the storm can have wounds that allow decay to start. These may not cause problems right away but can weaken over time.
When to Get a Professional Opinion
Some signs, such as a slowly increasing lean or cracks in the main trunk, can be difficult for homeowners to judge. They may point to a serious problem, but they don’t always mean the tree will fail.
Having a trained eye look at the tree can help you decide whether it needs pruning, monitoring or removal. For trees that were clearly damaged, professional storm damage tree care can deal with broken limbs and assess what remains. When a tree’s overall condition is uncertain, a tree inspection can help.
Keep people away from any tree that seems to be changing quickly, and don’t try to climb or cut it yourself.
Something about a tree just not looking right since the last storm? A local tree service in Joplin can take a closer look at it before small problems turn into bigger ones.
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