Watch Out for Falling Trees with all this Rain

 It’s no secret, the ground has been very wet in Bucks County.

Because the soil has been so saturated, trees with weakened root systems — such as roots too shallow for the size of the tree, or suffering from rot — are at risk of toppling. It’s keeping local tree service crews busy. So, the experts are reminding everyone to watch for signs of instability, indications that a tree could come down under the next heavy wind, or rain.

“The ground gets soft and then it tends to soften up the roots,” said Gene McCreesh, who owns McCreesh Tree Service. “Then, they just topple over.”

Signs that a tree’s roots might be giving out are a trunk that is leaning and visible roots on one side or all around the base.

McCreesh said homeowners should be particularly wary of trees near their homes and garages.

“Any trees that are leaning over the house, are a good thing to get out, because they are already leaning,” McCreesh said. “With the rain and stuff, it could bring the roots up.”

McCreesh said to protect a house even further, keep trees “eight to 10 feet off the house — height and away from the house.”

McCreesh’s crews have been busy.

“We’ve been doing a lot of trees, due to water, a lot of trimming,” McCreesh said.

Just because McCreesh has been busy, doesn’t mean the company has been immune to the delays other businesses have experienced due to the summer’s wet weather. The company is running two to three weeks behind on contracted work.

“We have been falling behind because of the rain,” McCreesh said. “If it’s a light rain we’ll work. You know, if it storms — thunder, lightning — we don’t.”

However, he said, his team takes advantage of any dry days that come along.