Uprooted from own weight

The frequent rain and freezing temperatures across the region are causing all sorts of headaches.

Schools are sporadically closed, roads are scarred with nasty potholes, and it seems like there's not a piece of ground in the whole area that doesn't squish like a kitchen sink sponge.

And now, trees are falling left and right. Tree surgeons say it's because the ground is thoroughly saturated, causing trees to uproot under their own weight. Unhealthy trees with dead branches also pose a risk when the bark is soaked with water, then freezes overnight, experts say.

Late last week, a handful of trees fell across roads as a storm system dropped several inches of rain and winds whipped across the area. Signal Mountain Road was closed twice on Friday as crews worked to remove trees across the roadway.

And when they're not falling onto roads, the trees and branches are crashing onto power lines, ripping them down.

"Homeowners should be inspecting their trees year-round for disease and defects," said Susan Reisch, urban and community forestry coordinator with the Georgia Department of Forestry. "If the base is hollow or there are mushrooms growing on it, that's an indication of a problem."

Arborists sometimes can bring trees back from disease and blight, but when the tree is too far gone, they call guys like Luke Raby, Cody Watkins or James Mashburn, who are doing huge business this time of year operating local tree removal services.

Big, hulking chippers, wood-ripping chainsaws and plenty of brute force helped Mr. Raby's crew with Paul Bunyan Tree Service tear through nearly two dozen trees in a couple of hours Monday morning at a Harrison home.

Homeowner Henry Lewis said a dozen or so trees just outside his bedroom window were leaning suspiciously, and that prompted him to call a tree service.

"Every time a storm came, my wife would look out the window and worry," Mr. Lewis said.

He was paying about $2,500 to have the grove of pine trees removed. Most insurance doesn't cover tree removal, but Mr. Lewis said it's worth the cost.

Earlier in the year one of the trees fell on his house, costing $4,000 in repairs. But unlike the tree removal, the repairs were paid for by his insurance company, Mr. Lewis said.

A homeowner's policy will cover the cost of removing a fallen tree if it strikes a home or some other property, according to the Web site Insure.com. Most policies do not cover the removal of unhealthy trees.

If a neighbor's tree falls on someone else's property, it is up to each individual homeowner to file a claim for repairs, the Web site states. Just because the tree was growing in a neighbor's yard does not mean the neighbor is responsible for damage caused when the tree falls, the site says. For more information on insurance policy exclusions, visit http://www.insure.com/articles/homeinsurance/exclusions.html.

Local tree removal companies say tree removal costs can vary drastically depending on the size and variety of the tree, how close it is to other structures and how many trees are being removed.

The Web site CostHelper.com says the price can range from $400 to $1,400 per large tree.

Mr. Raby, whose relatives operate a handful of tree-removal services in the region, said neighbors' falling trees sometimes are the best advertisement.

"People see their neighbors' trees fall down, and they start to worry," Mr. Raby said. "They call us to prevent damage."

The same goes for Mr. Watkins, who operates Big Woody Tree Service. His Chattanooga-based crew has been busy all season.

"The ground gets wet and the trees start to lean and people start calling," Mr. Watkins said.

Removing trees such as those at Mr. Lewis' Harrison home are easy. They weren't near his home, so the tree removal company simply slashed and pushed and knocked them over in no time.

But if the tree is closer to home or driveway, crews must be a little more gentle, first cutting down branches with a bucket truck, then bringing the tree down in small pieces.

"The difference is that we can take these trees down in about five minutes, but if we have to take it down with a bucket truck, it could take a couple of hours," Mr. Watkins said. "If it falls on your house, it could take all day."

And that costs a lot more money.

Before it gets to that point, Ms. Reisch said, homeowners can take a couple of precautions. Both the Tennessee and Georgia forestry commissions advise homeowners to inspect their trees and pay close attention to color changes or the presence of moss, mushrooms or other growths.

"Rather than being in the sitting-duck position, we advise homeowners to be proactive," Ms. Reisch said. "That protects the homes and their neighbors' property, but also protects residents from injury."