After a rough storm, it's easy to blame every broken limb or cracked branch on the wind. But sometimes a storm just exposes a problem that was already there. Structural decay inside a mature oak can make a limb fail in conditions that wouldn't bother a healthy tree.
Fresh storm damage tends to look like a clean break, sharp wood, torn bark right at the break point. Decay-related failure usually looks different: soft or crumbly wood inside the break, discoloration, or evidence of old wounds and fungal growth near where it snapped.
Knowing the difference matters because it changes the plan. A storm-damaged limb might just need a clean pruning cut. A tree with internal decay may need a full assessment of the rest of the canopy before it's safe to leave standing.
Have you had a limb come down on your property recently? Did it look like a clean break or something that had been weakening for a while?
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Photo comparing a fresh storm break to an older, decayed break from a past job, if available, or a close-up of decayed wood inside a downed limb.
Canva text suggestion: "Storm Damage or Something Older?" or "What a Decayed Limb Looks Like"