Your specialist for tree care and tree removal

After the flood disaster: Are the trees still safe?

Von Gary Blackburn

Fallen tree

Climate and weather experts have been warning for years about what then occurred in the middle of this week. Numerous places in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate have been flooded by masses of water. People have lost their lives; entire streets have been destroyed. The special broadcasts on television show disturbing images from a disaster area. But this is not a faraway country, it is our immediate home!

Many of our customers and friends have been affected by this disaster themselves or have relatives and acquaintances who have experienced terrible things.

Already in the weeks before the catastrophe it had rained heavily again and again. The soil had already become soggy. Damaged by the extreme heat of previous years, the roots of many trees could hardly find a foothold. The mass of rain that then began not only turned many village streams into raging torrents. This also brought down countless trees, often causing additional damage to cars and buildings. 

Our teams are already active where cleanup efforts and infrastructure allow. Home and garden owners in the regions are understandably highly concerned about whether their tree is still stable or needs to be felled and ask us for advice. Often, our experts can give the all-clear and restore a sense of security to tree owners. However, there are also those cases where the tree poses an acute danger and could topple the very next time it is exposed to wind or rain.

Many factors go into our assessment: We check the condition of the soil. Is the soil more clayey or rocky? Is the tree possibly standing on the roof of a green underground garage and therefore unable to develop stable roots? Are the roots intact or is the tree affected by construction work, soil compaction or heat damage? 

And of course, we check and discuss with you whether there are alternatives to felling, such as statically relieving the crown by pruning, increasing stability by means of securing stems by ropes and distributing the load evenly and furthermore optimizing soil quality.

We advise you professionally and objectively – and of course free of charge.

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