Storm Damage

• Storm damage symptoms are often obvious limb breakage and leaf shredding after storms.
• Winter winds may cause shrubs heavily laden with snow or ice to split and have limb breakage.
• In many cases shrubs will bend under the weight of snow and ice, but will return to normal when the ice or snow melts.
• Snow can be removed with a gentle upward sweep of a broom.
• Ice should be allowed to remain, as attempts to remove it may cause branches or twigs to break.
• Broken and split branches should be pruned out and removed as soon as possible.
• Hail damage may shred leaves or cause extensive defoliation.
• Bark injuries can sometimes lead to damage from disease causing fungi.
• Trees struck by lightning may exhibit variable symptoms, from a thin strip of bark being peeled off, to violent breakage. In some cases the internal wood may be burned without obvious external symptoms.

Additional Resource

 Lightning Damage.