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What is a lightning tree?

How can I tell if my tree was struck down by lightning or blown over by the wind?

  • We had a storm last week and my husband came home to find a tree in our backyard that had fallen over. I don't know if it was the wind that blew it over (from what I understand if it was wind it would've most likely been uprooted). It broke off at the bottom of the trunk. When looking at the tree from it's fallen position it almost looks like there's a charred hole going through the trunk. The top half if in my neighbors yard now, and I haven't been over there to look just yet. My husband didn't see anything charred at the top. I wish I could add a picture so you could see what I'm describing. My husband believes it was a hickory tree, if that helps at all. If I can figure out a way to add a picture I will. Anyway, any advice would help.

  • Answer:

    After looking at the picture, I would agree with "val k" answer. If the tree was hit by lightning, you should be able to see the damage on the bark. Here are a few photo examples I found off the Web http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_info/damage_photos.html http://www.hiltonpond.org/ThisWeek050508.html http://www.tulsamastergardeners.org/plant_pathology/webs/lightning.html http://library.thinkquest.org/03oct/00758/en/disaster/lightning/damage.html Ii usually does not snap a tree trunk, but may split it vertically from above. In the picture you took, I also don't see any signs of lightning damage that I can identify. Since it was not uprooted and I don't see any wind damage around the tree, the tree trunk must have been weaken by something, maybe rot or diseased, that made it snapped more easily.

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If your tree was actually struck by lightning you would see the place on your tree where the lightning hit and it would look like a large axe was struck down on your tree by Paul Bunyan. If the wind just blew it over you would not see that. The only damage that you would see would be from the falling of the tree.

JR

If a tree was struck by lightning, you may be able to see in the tree itself, where the lightning struck and be able to follow it all the way down to the ground. The wood will be a lighter color than the rest of the tree. If the tree was blown over, you will see that the break in the tree will not be clean. It would be jagged. You can also tell by the wood and bark. If there are longer strands of it on one side, then it was wind that did it.

The charred hole could have weakened the wood enough that wind would blow it over or the wet leaves made it fall. You could probably tell better if you sawed through the trunk and found a vein of burned wood. That would pretty much mean that lightning weakened it at least.

bravozulu

it was definetily struck by lightning. i don't know if that just weakened it and the wind did the rest, or if the lightning took down the tree.

Most likely the tree was struck by lightning. If there are signs of burning near the bottom and the tree is not uprooted signs point to lightning

Mo-Town

Most trees blown over by wind don't have burn marks.

drahcirrichard

To me, it looks like your tree had rot through the center, and that made it easier to blow over. When lightning hits a tree, it's like any electric discharge. It'll follow the path of least resistance. Wood isn't a good conductor of electricity, but water and sap are - and these are located to the outside of the tree just under the bark. The center of a tree is mostly dead wood. So when a tree gets hit by lightning, the electric goes into the tree, and travels down the outside, heating the water and sap. This can make it so hot it boils, and the outer bark is peeled away like in these. http://www.isa-arbor.com/publications/arbnews/jun04/images/lightning4.jpg http://www.disarranging.com/review/archives/photos/tree1.jpg http://www.flickr.com/photos/hubcam/2616398029/ I can't see all of the tree in your pictures, but I don't see anything that looks like that.

topaz

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