Anticipating Risk

1. Understand Tree Risk

Risk is not just a "bad-looking tree". It is the interaction of three components:

• Likelihood of failure: Is the tree structurally compromised?
• Likelihood of impact: Is there a target (house, car, playground) beneath it?
• Severity of consequence: What would happen if it failed?

Tree risk is probabilistic, not absolute. For tips to recognize potential tree hazards, follow this Arbor Day Foundation Tree Risk Guide.

Please consider that urban trees experience very different forces than forest-grown trees:

• Isolated yard trees receive wind from all directions and often develop broader crowns. After heavy pruning or soil disturbance, they may become structurally unbalanced.
• When two stems grow tightly together with bark trapped between them, the union is weaker and prone to splitting.
• Internal decay is often invisible from the outside. Sounding, probing, or advanced tools (used by arborists) are sometimes needed to evaluate risk.
• Construction, trenching, or grade changes can destabilize roots years before failure occurs.

2. Identify Structural Hazards

Hazards are structural defects. Storms typically expose existing tree weaknesses rather than creating new ones. Watch for:

• Large dead or hanging limbs
• Cracks in stems or branch unions
• Codominant stems with included bark
• Sudden lean or soil heaving
• Extensive decay cavities
• Mushrooms at the base (internal decay)

3. Support Tree Biology

Trees, especially in urban and residential trees, often operate under stress (compacted soil, heat, root disturbance). These trees decline metabolically before they fail mechanically. Early warning signs include smaller leaves, reduced shoot growth, and premature fall color.

4. Pre-Storm Mitigation Strategies

• Structural Pruning: Encourage single-leader development early in a tree's life.
• Deadwood Removal: Remove hazardous dead limbs greater than 2 inches in diameter.
• Root Protection: Maintain mulch rings (2-4 inches deep) and prevent soil compaction.

Know Who Is Responsible

Tree responsibility depends on ownership and jurisdiction, not proximity. In developed areas, improper tree work can result in:

• Property damage
• Personal injury
• Utility disruption
• Legal liability

The following categories and descriptions regarding tree responsibility are quoted from CT DEEP list of contacts for tree issues. For complete context, full excerpts, and the most current information, please visit the official CT DEEP webpage.

Assessment and Stewardship

Safety Priority: Never approach trees contacting power lines or uprooted trees under tension. If a tree is near utilities, always contact:

• Call Before You Dig: 811
• Your local electric utility for clearance guidance and to determine electrical hazards

Never attempt to prune or remove trees touching power lines. Only qualified line-clearance professionals should perform that work.

1. Assess, Don’t React Emotionally

Not all damage requires removal. Trees compartmentalize damage. The Compartmentalization of Decay in Trees (CODIT) biological model can explain this. CODIT tells us that trees isolate damage by creating physical and chemical boundaries to prevent the spread of pathogens. Rather than "healing" wounded tissue like mammals, trees use these internal "walls" to seal off the affected area, effectively sacrificing the damaged wood to protect the health of the remaining structure. For this reason, proper pruning preserves defensive tissues, whereas improper "flush cuts" enlarge decay columns.

2. Structural Red Flags

Seek professional evaluation if you observe soil cracking, root plate movement, or cracks extending through the trunk. Remember: Trees often fail at the roots, not the trunk. Beyond uprooted root plates, some high-risk scenarios for storm-damaged trees in neighborhoods often involve:

• Split stems under tension
• Trees resting on houses
• Limbs entangled in wires

The safest action for these cases is often to secure the area and call a professional.

3. Hiring a Professional

If you are considering hiring a licensed arborist, you can use this CT Tree Protective Care Association Directory to find one. For formal risk assessments, look for professionals with an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) TRAQ certification. Avoid companies that solicit door-to-door or recommend "topping", which increases long-term risk. Also consider that cabling and bracing systems can sometimes reduce tree risk, but they must be properly designed and installed by trained professionals who understand load distribution and dynamic forces.