Arborist Offers Advice On What To Do With Troublesome Trees After Destructive Storms

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- As people brace for the third nor'easter in less than three weeks, they face a nagging concern.

They're worried this storm will knock down even more trees. Many from last week's nor'easter still litter Pinebrook Road in New Rochelle as utilities were still being restored.

Now, homeowners like Robert Goodman are concerned about what another storm could do.

"It's scary," he told CBS2's Elise Finch. "They fall in, like, an instant."

There are fallen trees all around Goodman's home, with one large tree in his front yard that seems healthy but is leaning dangerously close to power lines.

"I think that I might take it down just to avoid being the guy whose tree took out the power," he said.

His neighbors say they have similar concerns. One homeowner declined to speak on camera, but said she's nervous as she looks at the uprooted tree on her lawn because an even bigger tree is just a few feet from her house.

Christopher Busak is a master arborist with The Care of Trees, and says there are things homeowners should check for once a storm passes.

"A lot of the time a tree will naturally have surface roots," he said. "Those are cracked, jutting out of the ground. The entire tree is compromised and can be braced."

Busak says this year, homeowners really need to call in a professional because the tree's appearance doesn't tell the whole story.

"When a tree is damaged in a storm, it's more likely to be attacked by insects later on," he said. "It sends pheromones into the air and that's what insects and pests will pick up on."

It means even if a tree survived the unusual March storms, it could be dying.