Every day, there are millions of lightning strikes all over the world. That’s millions of bolts hitting water, the ground and yes – even trees. But what if by some bad luck – lightning hits one of your trees? How bad will the damage be? Can your tree recover? That’s what we’re here to discuss today. Here’s what to do, what to expect and what can be done if your tree ever gets hit by lightning.
Your tree got hit by lightning
In the event one of your trees does get hit by lightning, you’re going to want to make sure any dangerous, hanging or broken branches are removed immediately. If you feel that the branches are too big to be removed on their own, then hire an arborist do it.
The other issue with lightning is that it can do a lot of hidden damage to your tree. If you do hire an
arborist, have them conduct an inspection so you can make sure you’ve addressed all the potential
issues.
What to look for
Believe it or not, not all lightning strikes are overtly visible. Some are subtle and the damage occurs
inside the tree. So you’ll want to make sure you do a sound walk around collect as much information as possible. Not only will this give you a more complete diagnosis, but it’ll also help paint the clearest
possible picture of what a potential recovery plan would look like. When you’re doing a walk-around, look for cracks or slits in the tree trunk. Look for huge chunks of bark ripped off the tree, sparse or wilted leaves in the canopy or perhaps even more noticeable – burned or blackened areas of bark. These are all going to be problem areas that will need to be addressed.
Will your tree die?
Not necessarily. Trees can overcome damage even when it comes to severe strikes. But its resiliency
depends largely on a lot of external factors at play like age, height, species and sometimes even its
location. The general rule of thumb is that if a tree gets struck by lightning on only one side of its trunk – it has a really good chance at survival. If it’s been struck totally – it probably doesn’t.
The biggest thing you’ll have to do is call a pro and figure out how to deal with any exposed insides from the tree. This is an exceptionally risky time for the tree as it becomes unprotected from things like pests, funguses and other external forces that can do catastrophic damage to the tree permanently. So make sure once the tree has been struck that you have a professional on hand as soon as possible.
If your tree has been struck and you live in the seacoast and Portsmouth, NH areas, give us a call today as soon as possible and we’ll give you a free consultation. Good luck!
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