Tree removal companies busy after Monday's severe weather

 

The cleanup continues two days after storms slammed Michiana. Torrential downpours and severe wind gusts sent many trees toppling.

Tree removal crews were at a house in Granger Wednesday afternoon, armed with chainsaws, cranes, and woodchippers. A large tree crashed through the roof of a garage on Monday and needed to be cleared.

The damage was caused by the combo of wet ground and strong winds.

However, Michiana’s lack of fall weather so far means that most of the leaves are still on the trees. This can weigh things down and making it easier for trees to fall during storms, according to experts.

"When there are leaves on the trees and they are wet, it’s like a sailboat,” Walt Temple, owner of Temple Tree Service explained. “The wind will catch onto those leaves and will add stress. If the tree is sitting in an area where the root-ball, the ground is so wet and you get that kind of leverage, it’ll tip right over, which is what we had here.”

Temple adds that most of the time, if trees had a little maintenance or tree care, it would eliminate a lot of problems many see during severe weather. Most of the time a homeowner doesn’t really know the condition of their trees, so it’s smart to plan ahead and call someone to take a look before the storms strike.