Quick tips to help you spot trees that are more likely to fall during severe weather

Storms in North Carolina pack the potential to knock down trees, which could damage your property or injure someone you love.

Trees in our state are often surrounded by natural areas filled with trees.

Before severe weather strikes, you should take a look at which trees could pose a threat. This is pretty simple to do: just look for large trees that could hit your home if they fell over.

Next, examine the tree, looking for exposed roots or cracked ground. That’s a sign that the tree may have a shallow root system, which means it’s more susceptible to toppling over in strong wind conditions.

Another thing to keep an eye out for is a tree that is leaning over. That’s a potential red flag. If it has a V or U shaped trunk, that’s another red flag. Trees with V or U shaped trunks have more weak points and uneven weight distribution. All those things make it more likely a tree falls over during severe weather.

Once you determine which trees are higher risk to fall, you need to find out what part of your house is in danger.

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Any area of your house that could be hit by a falling tree should be an area of your house you avoid during severe weather.

Approximately 100 people die every year from falling trees.

If you have a tree in your yard that you’re worried about, you can pay for tree removal services. However, depending on the size of the tree, that could cost you thousands of dollars.

If a tree you’re worried about is on city property, contact your city government and see if they will remove it. Most likely, they’ll send someone out to evaluate the risk of the tree and determine if it should be removed.

The bottom line is trees in central North Carolina can topple over even during storms that are not severe. It’s important for you and your family to know what to look out for and how to stay safe.

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