Arborist shares tips on how to "read" trees for signs leading to failure; Atlanta, GA; 4/21/09

Arborists Predicting Which Trees Will Fall Next in Metro Atlanta WXIA-TV - Atlanta,GA,USA
Jenkins said it doesn't take a tornado to knock down Metro Atlanta's hardwoods and pines right now. The one-two punch of drought and drenching has loosened the soil and red Georgia clay, making the soil and clay less stable and more difficult for tree roots to grab onto.
"A tree can come down even when the air is still," Jenkins said.
And especially when the tree is diseased. But, Jenkins said, a diseased tree, or a tree weakened by drought, barely has a chance to survive the sort of "wind advisory" conditions that were forecast for Tuesday.
He said people living underneath big hardwoods and pines don't have to be sitting ducks. They can spot many problems themselves.
For example, Jenkins said, property owners need to know that mushrooms growing at the base of their trees can be a sure sign of root rot.
And a cavity in the tree trunk can be another indicator the tree may soon fall.