Tree crews remain busy clearing damage from Tuesday’s nor’easter

(WGGB/WSHM) - Cleanup efforts are still underway in many places after Tuesday’s nor’easter and one local tree removal company said they’ve been extremely busy this week and they’re advising people to keep an eye out for possible dangers.

Hector Peterson owns Peterson Landscaping and Tree Removal. He told Western Mass News his crews have been out all week, cleaning up the aftermath of Tuesday’s snowstorm.

“My guys are out there now. They’re doing about three to four jobs a day right now…There’s a lot of heavy snow that came down and that’s what’s creating the trees to break. A lot of our pine trees are very weak and brittle,” Peterson said.

However, he said he’s worried about the trees that didn’t fall after Tuesday’s storm, but may still have been weighed down. Specifically, he’s concerned about what he called ‘widow makers.’

“[Widow makers] are half broken branches that are still attached to the tree. Usually, we call them ‘widow makers’ when they are over an area of interest,” Peterson explained.

He urged residents to look for signs of damage to trees on their properties. Some indicators include bark tearing off the trees, trees that no longer grow leaves, and fungus appearing on them. If you see any trees that may fit the bill, Peterson said to give a contractor a call.

“Preventative maintenance can help stop broken branches and widow makers from happening in the future if you get ahead of it and maintain your healthy or unhealthy trees now,” Peterson noted.

Peterson said he’s also offering a five percent discount on their services for any storm-related damage from Tuesday.

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