Storms| cyclones| tree species suitability

Eric Frei · 12th December 2008, 05:49 PM

Source: Lightning spears tree through house - Local News - Gold Coast, QLD, Australia

Quote:

December 12th, 2008

A LIGHTNING strike felled a 30m tall gum tree last night, spearing it through an Arundel home where it narrowly missed a seven-year-old boy.

Hello, note the date, the first storm was 16 November 2008 and we have nearly copped it every day since. We got hammered yesterday, I couldn't finish a job and had to return this morning to finish off then fit in the rest of the day. And hello, this was known and warned against as usual back 2001. Just a wake up call, 3 years of drought and beautiful one day perfect the next had to end like those American AAA Mortgage Loans

Graphic, yet another ...

So far the score is ..... trees 1000's of failures and dollars damage (insurance estimates $75million Storm damage 'to outdo Larry' - Queensland - BrisbaneTimes) side walks nil

Charge tree huggers more for insurance.

Eric Frei · 22nd December 2008, 08:02 PM

250 pictures in this show

Storms ravage southeast | The Courier-Mail

Another take on the whole story.
Floods to follow brutal storm | The Courier-Mail

Eric Frei · 22nd December 2008, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bill24

The Victorian SES unpaid volunteers that went to help out are "riff raff ? " , must let them know!

Conmen target storm-affected - Queensland - BrisbaneTimes - brisbanetimes.com.au

Quote:

Conmen target storm-affected
Marissa Calligeros | November 18, 2008 - 3:50PM

Conmen are attempting to exploit residents left shocked and vulnerable by Sunday's wild storm, taking their cash in exchange for tree-lopping and demolition services they will never perform.

With the massive clean-up in suburbs battered by Brisbane's super cell storms well underway, police have warned residents to be wary of con artists and suspect traders offering services "on the cheap" for up-front payment.

Acting Senior Sergeant Steve Watterson of Alderley's Major Incident Room said police had received reports today from residents approached by scam artists, who were posing as tree loppers and demolition contractors.

"These scammers are requesting money up-front and assuring people that they can claim their services on insurance," Snr Sgt Watterson said.

One scammer, posing as a demolition contractor, reportedly offered to demolish extensively damaged properties for $10,000 and assured property owners the service could be later claimed on insurance.

"The scammers offer their services for up-front payment, issue the property owner with a bogus invoice ... but the service is never done," Snr Sgt Watterson said.

He said police were patrolling the areas worst affected by the storm for suspect traders.

Deputy Police Commissioner Kathy Rynders, who toured battered suburbs today, said natural disasters attracted itinerant scam artists looking to con victims.

With more than 7000 claims already lodged, the demand for repair work is extremely high, Ms Rynders said.

"I urge residents in the (storm) affected areas to be aware of dodgy tradespeople looking to take advantage of homeowners when they are at their most vulnerable," Ms Rynders said.

"These tradespeople are often unlicensed and travel from one place to another looking to make a quick buck.

"They lie about the extent and nature of the work needed, their work is sub-standard, their charges are excessive and generally demand cash.

"Home owners should be suspicious of tradespeople who call uninvited, prefer cash payments and do not supply proper receipts or contracts and have easily removable signs, or no signs, on their trucks."

AAMI Insurance Corporate Affairs Manager Mike Sopinski said policy holders affected by the storm should contact their insurance company or broker as soon as possible to notify them of a likely claim.

Mrs Keech offered the following tips to home owners considering using door-to-door traders:

- Ask to see a Queensland Building Services Authority licence;

- Do not pay cash. Don't let the tradesperson take you to a bank and don't pay for anything upfront, not even materials;

- Get a written contract;

- Demand a receipt with the trader's name and street address on it.

Under the Fair Trading Act 1989, door-to-door traders offering to carry out work worth more than $75 must provide written contracts, produce identification, state the purpose of their call, and not engage in harassing or coercive behaviour.

"They can carry out temporary repairs to make their property safe and to prevent further damage," Snr Sgt Watterson said. "However, it is essential that they (home owners) get approval from their insurer or broker before authorising major repairs."

Anyone who believes they have been approached by a suspected bogus tradesman is urged to contact the Office of Fair Trading immediately on 13 13 04.

philinsydney · 23rd December 2008, 06:33 PM

Perhaps more homes would be damaged by wind alone if there were no trees around in the general landscape.

Eric Frei · 1st January 2009, 07:38 AM

30 Decemember 2008

New Year&squo;s Eve tipped to hit 34C in Brisbane | The Courier-Mail

Looks to me from the pic half the base scuffed ... likely decayed.

Quote:

New Year's "fireworks" came early for Gold Coast couple Clay Sumsion and Lorraine Rutley when the storm unleashed its fury.

First came a spectacular light show as lightning lit up the sky, then an almighty bang as a 30m gum tree crashed on to the couple's West Burleigh home.

It was not quite the New Year's celebrations Mr Sumsion and Ms Rutley had in mind as they enjoyed a quiet tipple on their back porch with a friend.

"We saw the rain coming over and the sky turn black," Mr Sumsion said.

"Then the wind started to blow at about a million miles an hour - it was like a mini-tornado."

Ms Rutley said the house shook as their neighbour's tree crashed on to the old fibro house, landing on their bedroom roof and destroying the front steps.

So big was the tree, and so bad the damage, that SES workers could not help and advised the couple to call their insurers and a tree lopper.

"We've had to move in with my mum because it's too dangerous to stay in the house," Ms Rutley said.

Jeff Darby · 1st January 2009, 08:24 AM

When you think about it, three years of drought, then you get all this rain to wet the powdered soil, high winds, and bingo down they come!

I've camped out bush, at Limeburner's Flats NSW in terential rain and it was scary as all you heard all night was trees screeming as over they went and it was not blowing a gail either!

JayD

pcarborist · 1st January 2009, 01:56 PM

From the photo, it looks like the lower trunk of the gum tree has rot?

newguy18 · 2nd January 2009, 03:23 AM

Yes it does,maybe trunk rot,stump and root rot?

Eric Frei · 25th January 2009, 07:35 PM

Residents concerned over dangers of council trees | The Courier-Mail

Quote:

By Alison Sandy

January 21, 2009 11:00pm

BRISBANE residents worried about potentially dangerous trees remain in limbo as the city council works out how to deal with them.
Brisbane City Council said findings of its tree policy review were three months away but ratepayers who contravened present laws could be slugged thousands of dollars.

Brad Waters, of Ascot, said he faced a $5000 fine if he so much as trimmed two giant fig trees owned by the council, which has branches hanging over his property.

He said he feared extensive damage to his house if a storm as severe as the one that devastated The Gap in November last year hit his area.

"The limbs that represent a hazard to my family and property are many metres off the ground and are up to 12m long," he said. "In the recent storms, two limbs sheared off and slammed to the ground - luckily not from the parts of the trees overhanging my property.

"Council can be assured I'll be seeking damages for any damage these trees cause to my property."

Mr Waters said he'd been trying for up to five years to get the council to remove the danger, which was worsening as the trees grew.

"Upon making my most recent call to council, I asked for someone to make arrangements to meet me at my property to assess the trees and to see first-hand the reasons for my concern," he said.

"Council's response was to send someone out unannounced, who left a brochure in the letterbox indicating that council does not 'fenceline' council trees, that council does not majorly prune trees, and that council is not responsible for the debris caused by council trees."

A spokesman for Lord Mayor Campbell Newman said a review of "Labor's long-time tree policy, under which this tree is protected, has been under way since The Gap storms".

"For every request that the Lord Mayor gets to remove a tree he gets a request to save a tree," he said.

"It has always been a difficult and contentious issue that has to be taken on a case by case basis.

"Council takes seriously all situations that could cause a threat to a property, but we do err on the side of protecting the greenery of the city."

Opposition Leader Shayne Sutton said the removal of dangerous or oversized council-owned trees should be fast-tracked.

"We need to be sure that our suburbs' trees are of appropriate size and species," she said.

MATTER of concern ... Brad Waters and one of the two large Brisbane City Council-owned fig trees overhanging his property that he sees as posing a serious danger. Picture: Mark Calleja

Eric Frei · 10th September 2009, 11:26 PM

Final figures put the damage bill at $309 million

Brisbane - more information

Quote:

CATASTROPHE 085 - BRISBANE “THE GAP” STORM 17/11/2008
- June 2009 Update

On 17 November 2008 a severe storm struck several Brisbane suburbs around The Gap. The storm led to approximately 33,600 claims with an approximate cost of $309mil.

16% of claims related to vehicles, 84% related to property. The majority of property claims involved light damage to roofs, guttering and the exteriors of buildings.

262 properties were rendered unlivable, a further 1,316 properties were significantly damaged.

Insurers are continuing to report that repairs for insured properties should, weather permitting, be complete by agreed timelines. Current progress is represented on the image below.

Category A – Unlivable Properties

· When originally assessed by insurers there were an estimated 262 Category A properties, where policyholders could not occupy the property.

· As of 30 June there are 60 properties remaining in this category, a decrease of 20 in the last month.

· Based on industry reporting and aggregation, of the remaining claims approximately 94% have repairs underway, 4% have contracts executed and start dates agreed with clients and 2% are now awaiting property owner action before work can commence. These are industry aggregate rates and will differ between insurers.

· See attached graph.

Category B – Properties Unlivable When Undergoing Repair

· When originally assessed by insurers there were an estimated 1316 Category B properties, where policyholders could occupy the property, but may have to depart when repairs were commenced.

· As of 30 June there are 91 properties remaining in this category, a decrease of 15 in the last month.

· Based on industry reporting and aggregation, of the remaining claims approximately 96% have repairs underway, 1% have contracts executed and start dates agreed with clients and 3% have been approved and are awaiting contract execution, 1% are awaiting claim approval (engineering reports etc). These are industry aggregate rates and will differ between insurers.

Eric Frei · 11th March 2011, 08:09 PM

Page 2 of this thread had some debate between Sean and I about appropriate species in storm areas ......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sean Freeman

I find it particularly hard to understand what it is you are trying to say when you describe species that are native to our region and our climate and describe them as being known to be prone to failure.....to me these native trees like the grey gums and iron barks are reliable species if they are not damaged and compromised in biological function or physical structure.

For those who don't know 2011 is the year of devastation for Queensland especially up north. Cyclone Yasi was a monster, the largest to ever hit northern Qld.

Throughout this thread and even others I have been consistent with my observations and debate about the appropriateness of certain species in the urban environment close to homes. I drew this conclusion from eye witness to the damage.

Now in 2011 thanks to Greening Australia's Senior Environmental Scientist, Dr Greg Calvert I feel exonerated.

Dr Greg Calvert has found some unexpected results from over 20 years of research into the impacts of cyclones on trees.

I have loaded up a PDF version of this news article so it is never lost. I have also uploaded the 14minute radio interview as a .wma file, it's on the website as an MP3 but like the PDF I want a copy here for good.

Quote:

2 March, 2011
Trees that can destroy and trees that can save your life in a cyclone

Trees can protect your home as well as destroy it, depending on which trees you have.

We all know that trees can be damaged and destroyed by cyclones.

And when they come down they can destroy houses, fences and cars as well as block roads and emergency service access.

But Greening Australia's Senior Environmental Scientist, Dr Greg Calvert, has found some unexpected results from over 20 years of research into the impacts of cyclones on trees.

Some trees are more likely to be damaged in a cyclone than others.

Dr Calvert says '...there's an enormous amount of variation...There are a handful of trees that will stand up to a strong, category five cyclone.'

He says the type of trees growing in a garden could be '...the difference between the survival of you house and the destruction.'

As a general rule, fast growing, short-lived plants are more likely to come down in a cyclone than slow growing plants.

The slow growers have more dense and strong timber.

The strongest of all trees are those that naturally grow in wind and flood prone environments such as river banks and beaches.

In Dr Calvert's hometown of Townsville, the category two winds produced by cyclone Yasi knocked over an estimated 63,000 trees which caused approximately 100 million dollars of damage.

And just five species caused half of that.

The worst tree of all, according to the data, was the African mahogany.

They are big, fast growing shade trees, commonly used across northern Australia in gardens and along roads.

In Townsville, entire avenues of African mahoganies came down, hopelessly blocking major roads with tonnes of big timber.

Dr Calvert's advice is that you don't want these trees anywhere near houses or major roads.

Peltophorum, or yellow flame tree, was the next worst tree.

They're big trees and over 500 were uprooted in Townsville during Yasi.

Pink trumpet trees, or Tabebuia are not good in cyclones with 80% going down in Townsville.

Most gums and acacias are best avoided when it comes to cyclones.

They are fast growing and large; heavy limbs are prone to snapping off

The older they get the more prone they are to cyclone damage.

But just when you're thinking of bulldozing your entire block, planting the right trees can actually save your house in a big blow.

Dr Calvert has seen examples where entire roofs have been blown off a house, only to be wrapped around a seriously tough tree that has protected everything else downwind.

Palms like golden cane, cabbage palms, and date palms can stand up to category five winds.

Coconuts will snap or tip over in strong cyclonic winds, especially if they haven't been de-nutted.

The best trees include some paperbarks that naturally grow beside rivers like Melaleuca leucodendra.

Native cypress pines, pandanus, beefwood and Leichhardt trees are also super tough.

Mango trees are common big trees in backyards across northern Australia.

Dr Calvert hasn't seen many mango trees come down, but in over category three winds they shed big branches that can cause serious damage.

'You probably don't want big branches reaching out over your house.'

You can also make trees more resistant by the way you prune and water them.

Reducing the height and wind resistance of a tree will help.

But you need to also be aware of 'planes of weakness' wear branches are attached to trunks.

When you water a tree, water it more, less often.

Occasional, deep watering will encourage deep rooting and a strong tree.

There's a lot to consider when it comes to preparing your garden to be cyclone safe, but it's an aspect of gardening that could save your life.

Jeff Darby · 12th March 2011, 04:17 AM

With respect for these learned men, a lot of this to me would seem fall into the common sense basket. Big and medium trees near your house in a cyclone when subjected to weather such as twirling, erratic, high wind and rain fall and your setting yourself up for trouble.

Add to this large-limbs over your house then you have potentially dangerous situation. Healthy trees without defects break in cyclonic conditions then think about trees with structural faults...no where near my house please.

Fortunately for me I do not live in an area that experiences these conditions although in the nineties Sydneys west was subjected to winds that tore through a wide area and left windthrown trees everywhere blocking main roads and leaving the place looking as though it was a war zone.

Eric it must feel good to see your views you have held for a long time vindicated by people who have the resources to study these conditions in depth.

Garry Brockley · 14th March 2011, 08:49 PM

great report

funny how it goes down the same lines that you preach eh!!!!

22nd December 2008, 08:02 PM	#62
Eric Frei Admin - Owner Palm & Tree Services in Brisbane Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Brisbane Posts: 12,993	Re: Ekka you ok after Brisbane storms 250 pictures in this show Storms ravage southeast \| The Courier-Mail Another take on the whole story. Floods to follow brutal storm \| The Courier-Mail __________________ Protect your rights to work - Join Australian Tree Association My businesses:- Qualified Brisbane Palm and Tree Lopping \| Stump Grinding Brisbane \| Brisbane - Gold Coast Consulting Arborist

23rd December 2008, 06:33 PM	#64
philinsydney Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sydney Posts: 110	Re: Ekka you ok after Brisbane storms 2008 Perhaps more homes would be damaged by wind alone if there were no trees around in the general landscape.

1st January 2009, 08:24 AM	#66
Jeff Darby Moderator - Previously known as JayD Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: TreeWorld, Sydney Australia Posts: 2,059	Re: Ekka you ok after Brisbane storms 2008 When you think about it, three years of drought, then you get all this rain to wet the powdered soil, high winds, and bingo down they come! I've camped out bush, at Limeburner's Flats NSW in terential rain and it was scary as all you heard all night was trees screeming as over they went and it was not blowing a gail either! JayD __________________ Member: Australian Tree Association Join the Australian Tree Association...Have your voice heard ! Arboriculture, A life long study for some, a passing phase for others © Jeffrey J Darby 2011

1st January 2009, 01:56 PM	#67
pcarborist Semi-mature vigorous tree Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: PC Posts: 176	Re: Ekka you ok after Brisbane storms 2008 From the photo, it looks like the lower trunk of the gum tree has rot? __________________ parkcityarborist

2nd January 2009, 03:23 AM	#68
newguy18 Part of the Furniture Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: orlando,fl Posts: 4,948	Re: Ekka you ok after Brisbane storms 2008 Yes it does,maybe trunk rot,stump and root rot? __________________ Have your say join us today. old schooler

12th March 2011, 04:17 AM	#72
Jeff Darby Moderator - Previously known as JayD Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: TreeWorld, Sydney Australia Posts: 2,059	Re: Storms\| cyclones\| tree species suitability With respect for these learned men, a lot of this to me would seem fall into the common sense basket. Big and medium trees near your house in a cyclone when subjected to weather such as twirling, erratic, high wind and rain fall and your setting yourself up for trouble. Add to this large-limbs over your house then you have potentially dangerous situation. Healthy trees without defects break in cyclonic conditions then think about trees with structural faults...no where near my house please. Fortunately for me I do not live in an area that experiences these conditions although in the nineties Sydneys west was subjected to winds that tore through a wide area and left windthrown trees everywhere blocking main roads and leaving the place looking as though it was a war zone. Eric it must feel good to see your views you have held for a long time vindicated by people who have the resources to study these conditions in depth. __________________ Member: Australian Tree Association Join the Australian Tree Association...Have your voice heard ! Arboriculture, A life long study for some, a passing phase for others © Jeffrey J Darby 2011

14th March 2011, 08:49 PM	#73
Garry Brockley Bayside Tree Care Brisbane Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Brisbane Aus Posts: 1,641	Re: Storms\| cyclones\| tree species suitability great report funny how it goes down the same lines that you preach eh!!!! __________________ My business:- Brisbane Bayside Tree Care

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