Rain, cold bring down trees; Chattanooga; TN

Chattanooga Times Free Press Rain, cold bring down trees:
Wind, snow, ice and rain have affected the tree canopy across Chattanooga in recent months, the city's forester said this week.
'If we have a wet spring, it's going to get worse,' forester Gene Hyde said.
A wet fall loosened up the ground, and several snow and ice storms over the last few months helped weigh down trees, Mr. Hyde said. The result is that more trees have uprooted or been blown down than in years past when the winters were dry, he said.
But Mr. Hyde said he did not think the situation would have too great of an impact on the overall canopy. Trees go through a natural cycle, and more trees will grow to replace those falling down, he said.
Chattanooga workers utilize heavy equipment to cut trees that were damaged in recent winter weather near the top of Elder Mountain. Milton Stewart, right, of Asplundh Tree Service, holds a stop sign for southbound traffic.'If there's any losses, it would be short term, I would think,' Mr. Hyde said.