Trees toppled across the capital city as winds reached 66 mph by Sunday evening at McClellan Air Force Base.
Storms are expected to continue into Monday, but die down in the afternoon, the National Weather Service told The Bee.
The Bee consulted Scott Shaw, owner of Fair Oaks Arborist, a family-owned tree company, last year during the atmospheric river storms that swept through Northern California early in 2023.
He walks us through what a tree at risk of falling looks like and preventive measures you can take right now to help your tree stay in place:
The following information was originally published in January 2023 and has been updated.
What does a tree at risk of falling look like?
The tricky part is fallen trees are typically unexpected and sudden.
It’s hard to tell if an otherwise healthy tree is going to uproot because you can’t see its root system underground.
“The only way to really be able to tell if a tree is getting ready to uproot,” Shaw said “would be you’ll see soil separation — you’ll actually see cracks in the soil.”
During soil separation, the entire root system is shifting and making its way to the surface.
The tree will also begin to bulge around where the trunk of the tree meets its roots. When this happens, the entire ground around the tree will feel like a diving board.
Scott Shaw
Am I responsible for fallen tree damages to my property?
The rules surrounding who’s responsible for clean up and damages when a tree falls on your car or home can get tricky.
In Sacramento, for example, fallen trees that land on private streets or property are the owner’s concern. Both the city of Sacramento and Sacramento County encourage their residents to call a private tree service for clean up.
Removing a tree could cost thousands of dollars. Bigger trees typically cost more to remove.
It depends whether or not your home or auto insurance will cover damage created by a fallen tree, even if the damage was caused by severe weather conditions.
How do I prevent my tree from falling?
While it’s a little too late to take extensive preventive measures with your trees because Northern California is about halfway through this storm as of Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service, you can at least make sure your tree has enough room to branch out.
If your tree looks too heavy or is in need of a trim, do so. If you can’t do it safely, call an arborist.
During the fall season while leaves on your trees are dropping and it becomes dormant, Shaw said homeowners should “lighten the load” of their trees and prune it.
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Brianna Taylor covers affordability on The Sacramento Bee’s service journalism desk as well as general news. Before joining The Bee in 2021, she reported in Missouri and Maryland. She grew up on the East Coast and is a graduate of Morgan State University.
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