Depending upon who you talked to on the morning of Dec. 11, you heard a completely different adventure story, but there was a common denominator — WIND. Big wind. Keep you awake at night wind. Move the kids out of the loft wind. Check the integrity of your trees with a flashlight at 3 a.m. wind.
That big wind event begs the questions. Are we as prepared as we could be against wind damage?
Mitigation is a great concept. Mitigation says “do what you can now, before an event happens, to lessen the potential impact of that event.” With regards to big wind, that might mean checking the integrity of the massive trees surrounding our homes, pruning or removing trees that are suspect, making sure all our possessions are properly secured, even if we think they are too heavy to be blown away. It might mean getting insurance, and forgoing our daily evening stroll, if the gusts are clocking in at 108 mph.
Look critically at massive trees to determine if they might fall on the house.
What kind of root system is holding the tree up? Root systems in Cordova are typically quite shallow. Soil depth is minimal. This land is basically rock, with a little bit if dirt on top, so the root system will be relatively shallow and spread out, instead of going deep. Check the area around trees. Did the wind compromise the root structure? Are there cracks where the roots have been stressed and pulled up? Is the tree leaning? Any of those are good clues of a compromised root system.
- Is that root system saturated with rain? Does that matter? Tall, lean evergreens like spruces and fir are more likely to get blown over when the ground is real wet, even if their root systems are good. They’re just not able to withstand a strong, sustained wind. That is what happened the night of Dec. 10. That big wind decided to show up on the coattails of a week of torrential rain. But it may not be a rain issue at all. It could just be a tree growing in a wet area, or it could be that the tree has a significant amount of “fill” (dirt pile) up against the tree above the normal level of the ground. Those, too, will compromise the strength of the root system.
- What kind of profile do the trees have? For example, a palm tree has a pretty low profile; not much there to blow around. Many Cordova trees are full and dense and tall, and could benefit from a haircut, little trim. Let a little wind blow through the tree, instead of pushing it over.
- If other trees in your area been recently removed, for construction or other reasons, there is a greater chance of wind throw (blow down) on the remaining adjacent trees.
- Is the tree healthy? Pretty simple. If it’s not, it needs to go. Cordova has lots of spruce and hemlock. Look for rot indicators like fungus on the tree itself, or conks. Be cognizant of the fact that hemlocks over two feet in diameter could have some heart rot, which weakens the tree trunk.
Secure stuff:
Remember any outdoor equipment, from sheds to rooftop appendages, including the chimney and roof itself, must be secured properly from all directions. A critical eye and regular inspection of the perimeter of homes will help to identify any potential flying objects. Does anything wiggle by pushing on corners? Can you lift anything off the ground or roof, even a little bit? If so, secure it.
A little insurance can go a long way:
Consider the cost and then consider the benefits. Insurance is another article for another day, but is always worth contemplation.
Avoid wind tunnel hiking:
The great blessing of the Dec. 10 wind is that it happened in the middle of a very dark winter night. Very few people were out to get hit by flying debris. This is a free mitigation measure we can all employ at all times. It’s called common sense. Don’t going hiking in the big wind. Don’t go out to get photographs. Don’t go out for the adrenaline rush. Stay in the safety of your home and move to a safe part of your home. Avoid the windows. Avoid the lofts.
