South Florida Trees and Hurricanes

[jes]

I have two very large live Oaks on both sides of my house. I've asked a million tree people, adjusters (who see it all) and everyone else I can think of how safe I am here with the Oaks. Everyone says it's the water Oaks that go --- not the live Oaks. Their root systems are very expansive which hold them up. It's evidently hard for many (including myself) to tell the difference between the two trees. I do know mine are live Oaks and healthy. The Live Oaks can split when not healthy, but don't topple. We have lots of large pine trees here ---- everyone says they are very dangerous because they split up high and come down like dagers into your house. What a horrifying thought.

[Extremeweatherguy]

Now I am not sure whether these were water oaks or live oaks or a combination of both...but when Charley hit Orlando, hundreds or thousands of oak trees were split, toppled or uprooted. I have a picture of some of the damage...does anyone know what kind of oaks these are?

[richtrav]

That top one looks like it USED to be a water oak, the trunk is too smooth for a live oak