When Lightning Strikes Your Trees

Direct Lightning Strikes To A Tree

First, you may wonder what causes lightning to strike a tree in the first place. You may have seen some wild storms in your time that never once hit a tree near you. Other times you may have seen it hit trees all around.

So, what causes lightning to strike a tree? Lightning is seeking out the path of least resistance and tall objects. Trees are the perfect target. The sap, moisture, or resin in a tree makes it easy for electricity to move as it offers the least amount of resistance. The more resin or sap a tree has, the more of a target it becomes.

Trees Targeted By Lightning Include:

• In an open field or area with nothing else around.
• Near bodies of water.
• On the edge of a group of trees.
• Close to a building.
• Having electric lights strung from the tree itself.

When a direct lightning strike happens, it can take one of two pathways down the tree. For example, if you’ve had a lot of rain and the outside of the tree is damp, the lightning will travel down the outside of the bark causing less damage to the inside of the tree.

If the inside of the tree is damp, the tree can explode if hit by lightning. Sometimes a tree may catch fire. In other cases, a tree may continue living for years to come. The life of the tree depends on how severe the damage was.

Trees that have been directly hit by lightning are more susceptible to issues such as parasites, disease, and decay over the next years. If you have a tree that is still standing after being struck, it’s important to talk with a tree removal service to see what the best next steps are. It is important to try and allow trees to heal from the strike before doing major removal or pruning. We are here to help walk through this process with you.

Can you protect your trees and home from lightning?

Working with trained and certified professional tree service experts can help. We can install a copper system in the tree.  The system consists of a copper wire that runs down the length of the tree, into the ground.  The wire directs the lightning away from the tree. However, this isn’t always a cost-effective way to protect your property.

It may not be feasible to install this type of system on your entire property. If there are trees that are close to the home, that is historical or very old, or of some other significance, you may consider installing them. This will help protect those trees that are significant and that may cause issues with your home or buildings on the property.

Working with a professional tree removal service can help you to understand the dangers to your property of lightning strikes and how best to protect your home and your family. Lightning can cause massive damage and loss of life in some instances. Being ahead of the game and preparing now is a great way to prevent tragedy down the road.

A few ways you can prepare include:

• Protection system on specific trees.
• Removing dead trees or those that are already damaged.
• Tree stump removal.
• Clearing out brush that could be a conduit.

Calling the experts at Dusty’s Tree Service helps you to learn the safest way to protect your home from lightning strikes. Remember, just because you don’t see the damage right away doesn’t mean it’s not there.