Experts: Storm battered trees should be inspected to prevent costly damage
A spokesperson for PSEG Long Island tells News 12 that during last week's blizzard, tree crews cleared 151 fallen trees and 107 large limbs after power was knocked out to tens of thousands of homeowners.
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The blizzard of 2026 pushed trees to their breaking point across Nassau and Suffolk counties. The aftermath of the storm may have left many trees that are still standing susceptible to being the next to fall.
It's really good to preemptively have the trees looked at," John Platt, a certified arborist and district manager of The Davey Tree Expert Company's Long Island office said.
"Have branches that could cause problems later removed ahead of time before they could fall and hit something," Platt said.
A spokesperson for PSEG Long Island tells News 12 that during last week's blizzard, tree crews cleared 151 fallen trees and 107 large limbs after power was knocked out to tens of thousands of homeowners. In those instances, the utility company will typically pick up the cost of repairs.
But if a tree falls elsewhere on your property, Platt says it can cost between $300 to $15,000 to remove it. Pricing factors include the type, size and location of the tree.
Platt says there are things that homeowners can look for to try prevent the next downed tree.
"Cracks in trees, either in the trunk or the limbs, the full trunk itself or where limbs connect to the trunk, especially evergreens, they've had a lot of weight on them and that can lead to stress on the tree," Platt said.
"Look at the roots where they connect to the ground. We've also had a lot of wind with this last storm, so they can look to see if any of the roots are coming up above ground level."
