SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – January 12, 13, and 14, 2007. During this three-day period, Mother Nature hit the Ozarks hard with a winter storm that brought snow, sleet, and up to 1 to 2 inches of crippling ice.

Not only did it leave thousands of people without power for several weeks, but many trees were left at the mercy of Mother Nature’s wrath. Mike McDaniel, forecaster and arborist with All About Trees, remembers what trees go through beyond falling limbs and twigs.

“This was a horrific event that happened just before I entered the world of arborists,” McDaniel said. “While the health and structure of a tree are independent of each other, the ice storm caused structural problems and the health problems resulted from a late freeze around Easter that year. So it was kind of a one-two punch. “But in general, when the trees are healthy, our canopy recovers well.”

While many trees were recovering from the ice storm, arborists arrived at a home north of Springfield in October. A branch of a nearby tree that had regrown after the ice storm fell, causing minor damage to parts of the roof.

McDaniel says calls like these have long occupied him and others, even nearly 18 years after the storm. He also says this is an example of how regrowth can lead to such a situation, if not worse.

“To protect the trees after the storm, we had to make precision cuts, which were essentially large stub cuts or crown cuts,” McDaniel said. “Normally we wouldn’t do this. But this was an extreme case where cuts were necessary. Once we make these cuts, they tend to re-sprout from the wound, and that’s what creates the canopy we now enjoy. But this is potentially due to a rotten union. The sprouts themselves are the tree’s original They don’t tend to hold up compared to wood.”

If left unchecked, keeping too much regrowth in a weak spot can overwhelm your home or property even on a calm day. Fortunately, we’re approaching the cooler months of the year when McDaniel says any major corrections could be made.

“Usually you can do minor pruning in the summer,” McDaniel said. “Ideally, for large mitigations, especially to offset some of the damage from the ice storm, it’s always better to do this at a standstill.”

To cut corners on such work, he and other experts say it’s best to leave it to professionals. When looking for a reputable tree company, look for one that has good online reviews and is spoken highly of by family, friends, and neighbors.

Also make sure the company has appropriate, up-to-date insurance to cover its employees and work performed. Also, make sure the company has at least one arborist on staff and on site so the job can be done correctly without damaging the trees.

It’s time to take care of this because we will have ice storms again in the future. If left unchecked, 1/4″ is all that is needed to bring down small limbs and at least 1/2″ is enough to bring down larger limbs.

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