Lightning hit my tree — is it going to die, and is it safe to be under? in Carmel
A strip of bark blown off, usually spiraling down one side from the top toward the ground, sometimes with bark and wood thrown 50 feet or more across the yard and scorching at the edges of the exposed wood. Also look for a split trunk, blown-out soil or lifted turf at the base where the current exited through the roots, cracked limbs hanging in the canopy, and — several days later — leaves wilting and browning on one side while the rest of the tree looks untouched. Some strikes leave almost nothing visible: a thin line and a smell.
Within days
42 crews near Carmel · Free estimate · No obligation
Current passed through the tree, superheated the moisture in its path, and blew tissue apart under steam pressure. The outcome depends on where the current traveled. Along the outside under the bark, and the tree loses a stripe of cambium and often survives. Through the middle of the trunk, and the wood is fractured internally and the tree is finished whether or not it leafs out next spring. From the ground on the day of the strike you cannot tell which happened. So a struck tree is two things at once: an immediate physical hazard from loose bark and cracked limbs, and a medium-term unknown.
What this usually costs in Carmel
This is normally a storm damage cleanup job, which around here runs $400 to $4,000 depending on size and access. Treat that as a range, not a quote — nobody can price it without seeing it.
What to have ready when they call
A photo with the house in frame, so they can judge the scale
Roughly how far it is from the house, the fence or the drive
Whether a truck can get into the yard
Whether there are power lines anywhere near it
Crews near Carmel
Sorted by distance
Where this comes from. 42 real tree services Google lists as operating here. Ratings, review counts, hours and photos are Google’s, not ours. The quote on each card is that company’s review closest to its own average — not its best one.
“Aaron is absolutely a professional. From the quoting process of taking photos of the spruce trees to answering my questions related to being insured…”
10475 Crosspoint Blvd Ste 250-2645, Indianapolis, IN 46256
5.0★★★★★32
Tree Removal
Tree Trimming
Stump Grinding
+3
“The owner, Curt, is great to deal with. His estimates are very clear and fair. He is there (from start to finish) personally supervising his crew and…”