What lightning does
Clemson Cooperative Extension says steam from rapidly heated moisture can blow bark or sapwood off a tree, and that survivors are often badly scarred, with wounds that let in fungi and wood-boring beetles. Some trees show nothing until later, and root damage from current moving through the tree can go unseen.
The extent and type of damage decides whether the tree lives. A tree may stand for weeks and then fail.
First steps
If a tree is split, leaning, on a building or on a line, stay away. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, call NV Energy about a line, then our 24-hour emergency number, 775.232.8243. If a limb or the trunk is loose and hanging, keep out from under it.
If the tree looks stable, keep people and cars away until it is checked.
How the decision is made
For storm damage, Missouri Extension suggests asking whether the tree is basically healthy and vigorous apart from the damage, and gives half the crown still intact as a rule of thumb. A trained arborist can help determine whether a tree can be saved or must be removed.
Our two ISA Certified Arborists look at the trunk wound, the crown and the base, and tell you whether to keep, prune, cable or remove. Removal is the answer when the structure is compromised over something it could hit. We never call a tree safe from a description. See losing half the crown.
Insurance questions come up after a strike. Take photos before anything is moved and keep the arborist's estimate; your insurer decides what is covered. Our guide to homeowners insurance and tree removal lists the questions to ask.
Sources
- Clemson Cooperative Extension: Lightning and Trees (read October 17, 2026)
- University of Missouri Extension: Caring for Snow-Damaged Trees (read October 17, 2026)