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Warning Signs: Tree Tips To Help Keep You Safe From The Storm

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Limb by limb, trunk by trunk, the wreckage of Friday's winter storm is turned to mulch.

"We will take pieces off slowly until we get everything off the house," said Tim Ryan of Ryan Tree and Landscaping.

Crews with Ryan worked on dismembering and pulverizing a large tree that had fallen on a Delaware County garage, since Friday they had been working around the clock on similar projects.

As day turned to night, crews with James Logan Landscaping continued clearing several old trees that had toppled onto a historic cemetery. The possibility of more rain and snow only adds to the customer queue.

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"We are about three months backed up now and another storm coming is just going set us back even further, "said Logan.

He adds that many residents only start thinking about the health of their trees after a major storm.

"Most jobs I'm looking at the tree that is already on the ground but the one next to it has big splits in it and you have to explain to the people that this is even worse than the one on the ground," Logan said.

Any tree is susceptible to damage when hit with enough weight or wind but experts say that there are some outward signs of weakness that homeowners can recognize such as changes bark color.

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"You also want to check the ground around the tree because when the grounds are saturated like they are now they tend to uproot easier," said Ryan.

Ryan and Logan agree that the best preventative measure to avoid falling trees is to have them assessed by an expert once a year to check for decay and disease.

If a tree has fallen, leave it to the professionals as the situation could prove very dangerous especially in the presence of wires.

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