Having a beautiful tree struck by lightning just outside your home can be a terrifying experience. If you’re aware of what’s happened, you should call one of the local tree services in Cocoa Beach, FL, as soon as possible to learn how to proceed.
The National Weather Service named Florida the “Lightning Capital” of the U.S., which shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who is already familiar with the state’s NHL team – Tampa Bay Lightning. Part of being a tree owner in this part of the world is knowing what to do when lightning strikes. There are some time-sensitive issues to note if you’d like to save your tree or prevent it from creating extensive property damage.
So, how should you respond to lightning striking your tree? Read on to see how our tree professionals at East Coast Arbor Pro might make the most of a bad situation.
Assess the Tree Struck by Lightning
Once a dangerous storm has passed and the coast is clear, you can head outside to inspect the tree struck by lightning. Typically, the lightning strike will instantaneously transform the liquid inside the tree into gas. Essentially, this process causes the tree’s outer layers to explode as the pressure inside the tree goes beyond what the structure can hold.
If this happened to your tree, you might spot noticeable signs of lightning damage, such as:
- Bark splitting
- Branch scorching
- New sap leakage
Make it your mission to assess the extent of the damage. It’s rare to see a tree escape a lightning strike completely unscathed. While a tree struck by lightning may exhibit less apparent signs of trouble, it is common to find internal decay and root damage after these events.
If you don’t move quickly, the tree’s internal damage will lead to foliage wilting. The decline harms the tree’s long-term health and produces other adverse effects over time.
Provide The Charred Tree With Water and Fertilizer
A tree struck by lightning might die immediately. In this case, any efforts to save it will be futile. If you sense there is no saving your tree, have a professional service remove it immediately, and be sure to throw in tree stump removal to avoid future complications.
On the other hand, if you believe your tree has survived the lightning strike, you shouldn’t hesitate to nurse it back to health. Provide it with plenty of water, as the blazing electrical voltage often robs the tree of its stores entirely. You should also fertilize to deliver nutrients to the tree’s roots, trunk, and branches.
Take these steps quickly, and you may have a greater chance of saving your tree.
Prune Broken Branches To Give Your Tree a Fighting Chance
A tree struck by lightning will usually have a few broken branches. Prune them to allow the tree to focus on sending nutrients to healthy branches instead. This will also stop brittle branches from falling onto your vehicle or home or causing serious injuries.
Note that, after lightning, pruning too aggressively puts unnecessary stress on the tree. Your arborist might wait a year before doing extensive cuts.
Need Fast Help With Your Tree?
When you have a tree struck by lightning that dies instantly, removal needs to happen quickly. If we can’t help you revive your tree, East Coast Arbor Pro can remove it safely from your property in Cocoa Beach, FL. You could choose some creative uses for tree stumps, but for many reasons, we’d advise that you let us grind it instead.
Contact us at (321) 917-9342 to discuss your options with our tree experts!
