The sight of downed trees is becoming extremely common after recent severe storms in the Greater Houston. Some of them slammed into people's homes and killed people who were inside, causing concern about what the rest of this active hurricane season could bring.
Known as the "liveable forest," several neighborhoods in Kingwood were littered with downed trees after Wednesday morning's storm. Many residents still await tree removal, debris pickup, or damage repair from past storms.
Nathan Medeiros told ABC13 he is still waiting for crews to remove a tree from his rental home on Sycamore Springs Drive. The tree crashed into the house during Hurricane Beryl and buried his son in debris on the second floor. Luckily, they survived and have been staying in a hotel for the last two weeks until repairs can be made.
"The tree belongs to our neighbor, who is also renting from another property management company. They had previously warned their landlord that the tree was diseased/rotting but were ignored," Medeiros said.
Elton Fritz also had two trees slam into his home on Forest Cove Drive during the hurricane. Since the property was being renovated and no one was living there at the time, he said other homes are being prioritized on the waitlist for repairs.
"We raised the canopies on our trees. But the ones that fell came straight from the roots. It wasn't a branch that fell. The whole tree fell. Some of these trees are 90 feet tall and so it's hard to get away from them if they fall over," Fritz said.
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Louis Flory said his company, Ability Tree Experts, has been backlogged for two months. But if you're able to find a company that's able to get to you sooner, there are certain things you can look for in a tree that may be hazardous to your home. He said being proactive could save you a lot of stress and money in the long run.
Flory said the first tip is to clean the upper canopy of the tree. The goal is to allow the wind to blow through the tree and not against it.
"Once a tree is pruned and manicured, you can see daylight coming through it. You can see the sky through a canopy that's been filtered out," Flory said.
Next, you want to check the base of the tree to see if there are any cracks in the trunk or largely exposed roots. Flory said most trees only have about two to three feet of underground roots. With all of the rain southeast Texas has been receiving this season, the ground is more prone to being saturated.
"If that soil becomes soft, gummy, and mushy, there's no stability. Your roots are not anchored anymore. They become soggy and loose," Flory said.
Something else to look for is whether your tree shows signs of disease. Look for discoloration, deterioration, or even fungus growth.
If you don't know what to look for, you can always ask local tree maintenance companies to perform an inspection. Just make sure, Flory said, that whoever you call is properly licensed and insured.
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