Dallas

As Texans Begin Assessing Ice-Related Damage, Experts Offer Advice for Frozen Trees

The Texas A&M Forest Service says only time will tell just how much damage was done

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With the worst of the storm now behind them, there was a sense of relief among east Dallas neighbors Thursday afternoon as they listened to a 4-day layer of ice slowly drip away.

"The ice has cleared up for the most part, and it’s been nice just to stretch the legs and get out of the house,” said Jason Chandarpal.

Chandarpal was one of several people seen strolling the Lochwood neighborhood with his daughter and dog after an attempt the previous day, which he said they were forced to quickly abort.

"Our streets were not taken care of it all. Even this morning they were iced over, so it's really warmed up today,” said Nancy Singer.

With her own dogs in tow, Singer said she was grateful to be able to reclaim the sidewalk on a leisurely stroll through the crisp air in the aftermath of a storm that brought life in North Texas to a halt.

"I'm surprised we didn't lose more branches on trees and things like that. So yeah, I don't think there's been much damage at all in our neighborhood,” she said.

Still, in some places mother nature left her mark with trees weighing heavily into yards and streets.

The Texas A&M Forest Service said only time will tell just how much damage was done.

"Our trees are very resilient here in Texas. They might look bad right now, kind of bent over with how much ice is on there. But until we see leaves sprout in the spring, we really won't have a good idea of how much damage has actually occurred,” said spokesman Adam Turner.

For now, the agency is encouraging homeowners to practice patience, allow ice to melt and temperatures to rise before cleanup or pruning begins.

“If you are dealing with damage and you are going to start pruning, try to use as many proper pruning cuts as you can. Kind of the biggest thing when you’re conducting tree trimming is that you want to cut as close to the tree branch collar as you can,” said Turner. “When you look at a tree branch, you’ll see right where it joins up at the main trunk. There’s actually a little section that’s larger than the rest of the branch. That’s called the branch collar. So you want to actually cut the weight off the limb first and then cut that second piece off right before the branch collar, so not immediately next to the trunk but no more than an inch away.”

The agency also recommends reaching out to a certified arborist for damaged branches that are out of reach or difficult to access.

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