Ice Storm 2008

On Thursday, December 11, 2008 much of the state was covered in a glaze of ice reminiscent of the ice storm of 1998. We learned many lessons from that storm, the most important- trees and forests recover from damage, so don’t panic, be safe and seek professional help.

Assessing and Clean-up of Ice Damaged Trees

The best advice is a word of caution: Removing large trees or limbs is dangerous. Don’t climb a ladder with a chain saw. Don’t climb into a damaged tree. Never touch any tree near electrical wires. Assess your particular tree situation carefully and watch for safety hazards. Most tree work needs to be done by professional arborists, especially when the work requires climbing or the tree is leaning against another tree or structure. If you’re going to work on your trees yourself, make sure you have the skills and the right safety gear.

Hire an arborist: Trained arborists are aware of proper pruning and removal procedures and can reduce the chance of further damage to the tree. Check to see that they are certified and ask for certificates of insurance, including proof of liability for personal and property damage and worker’s compensation. Also, request local references and get more than one estimate.

Prevent additional damage: Later, you may want to prune the damaged trees to improve appearance and reduce additional hazards. If the top has been broken, the tree should be pruned back to a strong side branch. Damaged branches should be pruned back to the branch collar.

Hire a forester: If you own large acreage, contact your County Extension Forester or a licensed forester to assess the damage, and then salvage the trees if needed. Over time, damaged trees may develop decay and discoloration. As long as it is safe, there is no need to rush. You have more than a year to act before you lose wood to discoloration and decay.

Don’t forget to look at your trees in the spring and summer: Some damage may not be immediately apparent. Hidden cracks may cause branches to droop when leaves come out in the spring. Stem decay, as well as cracks, may lead to structural loss, causing the tree or large branches to become hazardous. Root damage may not be evident until twigs or branches in the upper crown begin dying after two or three growing seasons.

Division of Parks and Recreation Ice Storm information

For more information on assessing and cleaning up storm damaged trees visit the UNH Cooperative Extension website at http://extension.unh.edu