Stumbled on a stat about how much weight a mature oak can move in a storm

I was reading through some old arborist reports from a job in Raleigh last month and found a detail that blew my mind. One red oak they measured had a root plate that shifted 4 feet during a hurricane, and the tree was still standing after. The numbers said that same tree could displace over 50 tons of soil and root mass in high winds. I had no idea the underground part could move that much without the tree falling over. How do you guys judge when a tree with a shifted root plate is safe to keep versus a removal?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_miles11d ago

Fifty tons? That's just the tree doing its best impression of a poltergeist, dragging its entire underground mansion across the yard. I'd say you're safe to keep it as long as the roots aren't moonwalking every time a gust hits. But honestly, if the thing's root plate shifted four feet and it's still standing, that tree is either a miracle of engineering or it's just stubbornly waiting for the right moment to fall on your shed. I'd want to see if it's still got solid anchor points on the downhill side, or if the whole root ball is just balanced there like a wobbly toddler.

kaib1811d ago

Reminds me of the time I watched a neighbor's oak slowly lean over the course of a summer like it was just tired of standing up straight. That tree eventually just gave up and crashed into their fence during a light drizzle.