Storm Damage From Wind & Ice

To a large degree, mechanical damage to trees has the same effect and requires similar forest treatment, whether caused by ice or different types of wind. As landowners whose forests were damaged by the wind storms of May 2009 wait for guidance from University Extension and the Missouri Department of Conservation specific to our circumstances, the following websites may provide useful information.

http://www.forestry.state.ar.us/icestorminfo.html was established by the Arkansas Forestry Commission after the 2009 ice storm.

http://www.ca.uky.edu/forestryextension/icedamage.php was established by the University of Kentucky Forestry Extension after the 2009 ice storm.

http://msucares.com/forestry/disaster/index.html was established by Mississippi State University Extension Forestry after Katrina in 2005.

These sites provide information to landowners about timber salvage operations, criteria for deciding which trees are likely to survive storm damage, and how to claim timber casualty loss on a federal tax forms.  Two especially helpful .pdf documents are available for download below.

There is no long term research on the effects of timber salvage operations on forest recovery.  Short term studies indicate that moderately intense salvage operations do not harm forest regeneration, but that ecosystem function (water and nutrient cycles) are restored more quickly in the absence of salvage.

Click here to download Hurricane Damage to Hardwood Stands: Frequently Asked Management Questions.<146 KB Download>

Click here to download Understanding Casualty Loss of Timber . <5.4 MB Download>

To return to the EOFC homepage click here