It's now the calm after the storm in Northern California, but the damage is far from over. Reports of tree's falling into homes, and cars have been pouring in, and experts say if you're worried about tree issues, the first thing you should do is call a certified arborist. "The first thing we look for is heavy limbs that could break, that are obviously heavy, and can crack in high winds," according to North Valley Tree Services Owner Tom Bettencourt.
Bettencourt says falling limbs are the most common issue, followed by split, or cracked trunks, and tree rot. "We've had a lot of uprooted tree's, too, that were rotted out. The trunks were hollow, and they weren't aware of that. You don't see that until the tree falls down, and there's no roots holding it up." The other big issue according to Bettencourt is the ground saturation. "There were some tree's in California Park, where there was high water that washed out the root system, and the tree's fell over."
Buck Ware had a tree fall into his home last weekend, and says the real reason for all of the problems is the elements. "It fell out of the ground. It's roots were wet, the ground was wet, and then a big wind came, and blew it down."
Bettencourt says if you'd like to have a certified arborist check out your tree's, you can call North Valley Tree Service for a free examination.
