Ohhhhhhhhh.... I wrote to this site after hurricane Rita killed every tree that I had and asked for tree replacement suggestions. I wanted a fast growing tree that plants would grow under. Many suggested this type of tree so I planted a Drake Elm and it grew tall and strong and pretty.
Along comes Hurricane Ike and blew the Drake Elm down. I'm now finding out that three other Elms blew down in my neighborhood so this tree must have shallow roots.
I will replant another tree but must give it more thought.
Anyone have suggestions? I live in Louisiana 40 miles from the Gulf and the tree will get full South Sun.
thanks in advance,
Dogwood
Hurricane Ike and my Drake Elm tree
Pecan has very deep roots and nuts too.
there is a very huge Pecan in the park down the road a few blocks. I thought it was an oak it is so big but the city guy told me pecan. It is over on its side. Not much roots to this one. But then being on the dirty side nothing is safe as we had tormadoes go through. the tops of huge pines were not just broke ofd they were twisted off and came down. My neighbor said in all his years groeing up and he is 50 now hw nwver seen the tops out of so many pines. I pray it is more than 3 yrs before another one comes through.
I know collecting firewood I have see huge magnolias, pin oak, live oak, ash, sweet gum all just yanked up by the roots.
I am sorry you lost your tree.
Hurricane force winds and tornadoes don't discriminate - any tree in the path is fair game.
It's kind of a trade-off. Fast growing trees are generally weaker, but give you quicker shade. The slow growers are stronger, but you have to live long enough to enjoy.
We lost oaks young and old, pines, hickory, sweet gum, ash, but in the midst of the destruction, others stood with little or no damage.
So sorry for the tree loss to my Texas neighbors. We did experience the devastation that a hurricane causes during Hurricane Rita. It took every tree in my yard and twisted than blew them down.
We were very fortunate during Ike and didn't receive that winds that Texas did.....however...my Drake Elm did blow over but I'll just replant again.The first photo is after Hurricane Rita
This second photo is after hurricane Ike.
I sure hope it is atleast 24 yrs before another one. I remember Alicia and 24 yrs later Rita. Ike followed her by 3 yrs. And they say we women have PMS. Ike was not near as strong as Rita, But he sure did tear everything up worse then Rita did.
I live within a few miles of where he crossed And on the dirty side. Being a widow I can't for the like of me figure out why I want to stay here. My DH and I left for Rita with no where to go. I sat this out because I did not have the money for gas. But the biggest reason is
I would be a woman traveling alone with no where to go. I don't live in fear but I do know it isn't smart to be out there alone and not know where you are going or ending up. I did learn if I have to beg I will not stay through another one. I was terrified. The tops of pine trees a 38 in diameter one was twisted off not snapped off. Luckily during the night when I called my friend in Baltimore I said the wind sounded like a train and I did not realize what I said. I believe I would have panicked in the worst of it.
It was 2 weeks before I realized what I said and what I was hearing. When I told my friend he said yes he knew when I said it but wasn't going to tell me because he knew how scared I was.
I have a beam ceiling in the living room and I walked out there and could here the roof creaking. I thought it was going to come off. My neighbor has windows blow out or in I can't remember. She said you could watch it. It was like it was breathing before it blew.
I still shiver at the devastation of the power Ike had and the damage he did.
Sorry for all of our damages. This is my neighbors home. See how the tree was twister off.
I'm sorry to hear about everyone's trees, we lost some too and it was heartbreaking to see them after the storm. Some were pulled up by the roots and others splintered like toothpicks.
Dogwood, my trees that suffered no damage at all were the Palms and the Bald Cypress. The Bald Cypress is beautiful but I would recommend a Pond Cypress in place of it. The BC gets those awful knees (the surface roots that look good in a swamp but not in your yard), and they come up everywhere!