Recent Downpours Make Trees Susceptible to Winds

Our recent downpours have created saturated yards. That can be a problem if we have a storm with heavy winds. When the ground is wet, it doesn't take as much to make trees topple.

The most common type of tree failure according the University of Minnesota Extension Service is when trees snap beneath the surface. That happens when trees have been buried too deep and the roots have compressed the stem, forming a weak spot.

Another type of tree failure is when the whole tree, roots and all, is lifted up.

University of Minnesota Extension Professor Gary Johnson says if you're trying to avoid trees that are more likely to be uprooted, you want a smaller tree. You can also get a tree that is more open - in other words, you can see through areas of the branches. The denser it is the more prone it is to wind because it doesn't allow the wind through. When the winds are strong enough this can cause movement beneath the soil as the tree whips.

Johnson says American Elms and Honey Locusts are normally good at letting the wind through.

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