LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) – Expected high winds and rain over the weekend in central Arkansas means everyone needs to be alert for potential dangers.
Uprooted trees still remain outside Michael Jones' home, after strong winds blew through Little rock two weeks ago.
"There were two miracles here. If it had gone straight it would have hit the neighbor's house. They didn't fall on my house [either],” Jones said.
Jones said he's still in shock no one was hurt. Stan Turney had the same thing happen to him, except he didn't get as lucky.
"We had high winds about 8:30 a.m. [two weeks ago] and we had a large burst of wind that came through,” Turney said.
"I was in this room right here. Just turned on the TV and the tree came down and crushed the end of the house,” Turney said.
Thankfully no one was hurt here either, but Turney said homeowners need to be aware of the trees outside their home.
"We don't really know why it fell other than the high burst of wind and we've had so much wet ground,” he said.
Terry James owns his own James Tree Cutting Service. He said he is concerned about the weather this weekend because it could bring another round of strong winds.
"Treat any storm like a tornado,” James said.
He says the ground is so wet, we could see more trees topple. He said you need to be aware of trees.
“Do you have a dead tree? Dead trees absorb a lot of water and they snap and break,” James said.
Pines trees also pose as a problem.
"Foliage will capture the wind and hold it becomes a resister. That will actually help push a tree over,” James said.
James says you need to cut down dead trees as soon as possible. Insurance may not pay for damage to property if a tree is dead because it is considered neglect. If a neighbor has a dead tree and they will not cut it, you should call Code Enforcement. James said most of the time this works and action will be done.
But if you cannot get your trees cut before Saturday, take precautions.
"Always know your surroundings. Have a plan to go to one end of the house to the other and just have that for you and your family to know that when a storm arises to take shelter,” James said.
Other trees that may be a problem include:
- Trees that had its roots cut because of trenching
- Leaning trees
- Ganoderma fungus: This is the most dangerous and deceiving to homeowners. The tree may appear healthy, but the fungus grows on the wood, causing it to weaken