Tree failures that look sudden usually are not. Research from the tree care industry consistently shows that most fallen trees had identifiable warning signs before they came down. The problem is most homeowners do not know what those signs look like until after the fact. Here is what to watch for.
Important: these warning signs can appear months before a tree fails
Do not wait for a storm to force the decision. A free evaluation now costs nothing — an emergency removal after the fact costs significantly more.
Signs visible from the ground
Walk around the full base of any tree you are concerned about. You are looking for soil heaving on one side (the root plate is starting to lift), visible cracks at the base of the trunk, mushrooms or bracket fungi growing from the bark or roots, and any dark staining or oozing near the root flare — that indicates decay or disease inside the wood where you cannot see it.
Look up at the canopy from directly below. Branches that did not leaf out this spring while the rest of the tree is full are dead. A canopy that is noticeably thinner on one side, or where you can see large dead limbs mixed in with live growth, is a canopy that has been declining for at least one growing season.
Structural red flags
Two trunks growing from one point with a tight, included-bark union are a structural liability. That union does not have the strength of a single trunk. As both stems grow, they literally push each other apart. Eventually that union cracks. In North Alabama, Bradford pears are notorious for exactly this kind of failure — which is why you see so many split apart after a storm across Shoals neighborhoods.
A trunk that bends rather than stands straight is showing you that wind has already moved the tree more than it should. A tree that has developed visible new lean in recent months deserves immediate attention — that is not normal settling.
After a storm: do not assume your tree is fine
Trees that survive a major storm but sustain damage are more likely to fail in the next event — not less. A partially cracked limb, a base that shifted and was pushed back by a neighboring tree, or a canopy that lost mass and changed wind load distribution all deserve a post-storm evaluation. What looks like a survivor can actually be a tree that is much closer to failing.
When to call a professional
If you notice any of the warning signs above, the right call is a professional evaluation before the next storm — not after. Transform Cleaning LLC offers free on-site estimates throughout Tuscumbia, Florence, Muscle Shoals, and the surrounding Shoals area. We will tell you honestly whether the tree needs to come down, whether trimming will help, or whether it is fine to leave alone. Call (256) 740-7390.
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Transform Cleaning LLC, serving the entire Shoals.
Licensed, insured, and based in Tuscumbia. Free estimates, same-day response on emergencies.