Trees can be very dangerous during tropical storms. Tropical storm Elsa was the last one to pass through Jacksonville when it brought a tree branch down onto a car killing the driver on Roosevelt Boulevard.
Knowing which trees will fail in the storm is important for homeowners for their own protection and to reduce liability if a distressed tree falls on another property.
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Now tree researchers at the University of Florida have a better understanding of how well trees stand up to hurricanes with new research looking at the damage in the wake of Florida hurricanes.
Lead study author Andrew Koeser says most trees withstand tropical storm winds and up to 95 mph in category 1 hurricanes.
But not all trees are the same and the health, type of tree and location play a role in its ability to stand tall in the eye of the storm.
Hurricane Irma left behind much damage in Naples but also revealed abundant horticulture information about the strongest tree species.
The team counted 4034 trees after the storm of which only 15% were whole-tree failures or trees that were damaged enough to justify entire removal.
Almost three quarters sustained no damage, 4% sustained only minor damage, 6% sustained significant damage.
More than 90% of the trees that survived were Black Olive, Golden Shower, Savannah Holly, Ligustrum, invasive Bottlebrush, Southern Live Oak and Baldcypress.
In contrast, three trees had a survival rate of less than 60% that included Jacquinia, Hong Kong Orchid Tree and Western Hemlock.
Planting trees together may not help them stand up better than individual trees which are counter to the prevailing view after the active 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons.
While a cluster of trees in groups may offer some benefit it may not offer much more protection than a typically spaced tree setting in a park.
The author says trees either break or survive storms on their own as individuals, not as groups.
Urban trees are more exposed to wind and rain than trees growing in deep forests. They have developed to withstand winds in a way a very slender tree in a tightly packed forest has never had to do.
But trimming trees consistently shows they are less susceptible to damage compared to unpruned trees in the Naples area.
The University of Florida IFAS says trees planted in the last five years and very old, large trees are the most susceptible to hurricane damage.
Young trees don’t have an extensive root system to anchor them in wind, while old trees often have some decayed and weak branches.
Large trees should be evaluated (checked) by an International Society of Arborists-certified arborist for defects that are not visible from the ground.