Lightning Oak Risk Assessment

[treeseer]

Looked at a white oak today that was hit by lightning.The wound on the trunk was 11" wide out of 100" circumference (pic #1), so from all you could see from the ground, it looked like the damage was not terminal. With proper care--bark tracing, insect repellent, root invigoration etc, I've seen wounds like that close after a few years.

But the insurance company was paying for a thourough assessment, so I climbed it. Pic 2 shows that the center stem was cracked 1' deep, Pic 3 shows a major fork with bark blown off. Damage: terminal.

So, when looking at lightning-struck trees, the tree owner should be willing to pay for an aerial inspection, and the arborist/risk assessor should not trust the view from the ground.

Many insurance companies cover $500/tree, which is inadequate for removal in many cases. But some insurance companies--3 I can name--realize that trees add value to the home, and cover them fully, plus your cost for assessment. So if your customer's tree gets hit by lightning, encourage them to check their policies closely. IMO they should be compensated for more than the removal cost, since they have lost an insured asset.

 

[treeman45246]

Could you PM the company names to me? Or post 'em here if it's okay to do so. I had to put a rider on my policy to cover my tree in that fashion.

 

[treeseer]

The End of the Story?

Ok so after the loss of one tree and repairs to another were appraised at $4800, the adjuster was ready to write the check and pay my fee. But the insured was so paranoid about having his premiums raised because of the claim, or goodness forbid having his policy dropped at some point , he decided to drop the claim, pay me out of his pocket, and pay for the tree to get cut down--5 or 6 hours of roping work by a good arborist--as well as dealing with the debris himself.

That'll be well over $1000 out-of-pocket, and missing out on $4800, all because he feared mistreatment by his insurance company. And this guy ain't rich either. I thought he was totally nuts; if someone offered me $6k today I would not turn it down. Who knows what tomorrow might bring? (remember Traffic ?)I Almost felt bad for taking his money, but it's his trees, his land, and his insurance.

 

[stehansen]

I had a 110' Cedar tree in our front yard, about 12 ' from our bedroom window that was hit by lightening. The top 1/3 of the tree was just blown out and it did surprisingly little damage to the house. It ripped off the electric service and broke the overhang of the roof in one spot. The insurance company also limited us to 800 dollars for removal of the tree. It also melted the telephone lines under the house. I think that trees are something that is hard for an insurance adjuster to quantify therefore they just put the limit on them and they don't have to worry about things getting out hand on the claim. Here in California we don't get a lightening storm but about every 2 years, so it was quite unusual to get some actual damage from one.

 

[darkstar]

ok ok so how much did you charge to cut put in on the ground

 

[treeseer]

Stehansen was the damage terminal? Many lightning trees I look at , I recommend repair instead. Cedars I would think would have a good prognosis to resist decay. This insurance company was ready to pay out ~$6000, I'm sure of that.

dark, I didn't bid the removal; obvious conflict of interest to bid on a tree that you sentenced to death. That would be toopid, and I don't do big removals anymore anyway. Way too busy with stuff I like doing a whole lot more. :angel: Like appraisals.

the guy who will do it charges $75/hr; he is certified and insured but I don't know much more than that. I'm guessing $4-500 for his time; the customer would be doing the rope work. Semi-jackleg operation, I know; and he could've had it all done for free, every leaf. Blows my mind.