After the Storm

Storm damage can cause significant problems including:

• Safety hazards
• Economic loss and loss of forest aesthetics
• Damaged or blocked roads and culverts
• Build up of fuel which could result in future fire danger
• Potential for future loss due to increased susceptibility to insects, decay, future storm damage, etc.
• Changes in fish and wildlife habitat (some habitat may be damaged, some created).
  

Checklist

Identify high priority problems

• Immediate safety hazards to people or structures
• Blocked or damaged ditches, culverts, and roads (may result in road wash out, erosion, damage to water and fish habitat)
• Damaged trees and limbs that may fall onto roads or power lines (notify power company)
• Trees blocking forest access roads

Assess the damage

• Walk entire property--preferably with a forester (wear your hard hat)
• Make a simple map showing type and extent of damage (blocked roads and trails, trees with broken tops or broken limbs, fallen trees, trees severely bent over).

Determine objectives

• Consider salvage harvest of damaged trees.
• Consider retaining some storm-damaged trees and downed debris for wildlife habitat (see front page article on snags).
• Contact a professional consulting forester for advice.

Clean up problems

• At a minimum, remove hazardous debris accumulations (under 3" in diameter) within at least 100 feet of public roads and 500 feet of buildings (downed debris can result in forest fire hazard or increases in bark beetle populations).
• If debris will be burned, check burning regulations and obtain necessary permits.
• Consider pruning broken branches to reduce possibility of future decay.
• Leave broken limbs on trees that will be retained for wildlife habitat if they don't pose a safety hazard.
• Remove damaged trees when necessary and replant