CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Heavy storms have the potential to knock down trees and cause devastating damage.
Falling trees cause thousands of dollars in property damage each year, leaving people without power and footing a hefty bill. Fallen trees can also be deadly, a man from Palmer died Friday after a tree fell on his campsite while a storm passed over, according to Vermont State Police.
Palmer man killed by fallen tree while camping in Vermont
22News spoke with Rob Wallace of Wallace Tree Services about what signs to look out for when a tree is going to fall. Wallace also spoke about what types of weather makes trees fall the most often.
“With lots of rain and then followed up with lots of wind, then you got a problem,” said Wallace.
Signs of a weak tree in your yard may include the following:
- Falling limbs or branches
- No leaves on the tree
- Holes in the tree
- Bulbous growths, called burls, can be an indication of rot
While it may still feel like summer, the meteorological fall is in full swing, a major hazard during this time is falling trees and with more rain in the forecast this week, the potential for trees to cause property damage skyrockets.
Bob Parent of Rocky’s Ace Hardware told 22News what supplies people should buy in case a tree causes a power outage, “If you have a generator, you want to make sure you have fuel for your generator, you want to make sure you have batteries and a good flashlight, you want to make sure you have water and things that could sustain you if you’re out of power for more than 24, 48 hours.”
Over 100 people die from falling trees every year, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Many of these deaths occur from high winds.
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