DOVER, Del. - As Sandy cleanup continues, the focus in Kent County is on trees.
The storm caused many trees to topple and others to split like a toothpick.
Ron Loockerman, of Loockerman's Tree and Stump Removal in Dover, said damaged trees are a concern.
"These are the kind of trees that go down in the storm that we just had," said Loockerman, as he scraped out deadwood inside of a tree.
Crews were busy all day Friday trimming trees for customers like George Rummell.
Rummell said he already made an appointment to get an estimate for his trees "...and then the storm hit and then it became very critical."
Rummell said it became critical because his life was in danger.
"This tree, it was right over here, was on an angle about like this," he said.
That tree towered over his bedroom.
"I hadn't slept in that until last night because if that tree came over I'd be killed there," Rummell said.
Hurricane Sandy also uprooted a massive in one homeowner's backyard in Dover. That tree caused damage to an adjacent garage.
Loockerman said that tree fell because it was not thinned out.
"If you can't see through the tree, the air can't get through it and the air is just going to push it, cause damage, either rip out big branches or crack it," Loockerman said.
Experts say you should also look for any cracks, seepage from a tree or deadwood.
"If you don't deadwood a tree, it attracts bugs. Once it attracts the bugs to the dead stuff and the dead stuff is gone, they're going for the live stuff," Loockerman said.
Loockerman says preventative maintenance is key and that homeowner's should get their trees inspected about every two years.
(Photo: WBOC)
