How to spot trouble early and protect your home before the weather turns wild.
Summer storms in Kansas City are no joke. Between strong winds, heavy rain, and rapid temperature swings, our local trees take a beating. Most of the time, trees bounce back just fine — but every year, we see certain trees that simply can’t handle the stress. And the surprising part? The warning signs usually show up in spring long before the storms hit.
If you’re wondering whether a tree on your property is strong enough to make it through KC’s storm season, here are seven clear signs it may not.
Deadwood is the tree’s version of “I’m not sending nutrients here anymore.”
A few small dead twigs are normal. But if you’re seeing:
Multiple dead branches
Entire dead sections
Dry, brittle limbs that snap easily
…it means the tree is struggling internally. Deadwood is also the first thing wind will rip away during summer storms.
Spring is the best time to remove it — and to find out why it’s happening in the first place.
Decay often hides in plain sight. You might see:
Mushrooms or fungal conks at the base
Soft or spongy wood
Hollow pockets
Dark, weeping areas on the trunk
Decay doesn’t always mean a tree needs to come down immediately, but it does mean the structural integrity is compromised. Kansas City storm winds are tough on trees with internal rot, so this is a sign to take seriously.
A natural lean is perfectly fine — many trees grow that way.
But if the tree is leaning more than it did last year, that’s a sign of movement underground.
Leaning changes become more noticeable in spring when:
New growth appears on only one side
Soil looks disturbed or mounded
The tree seems off balance
In KC’s wet spring and stormy summers, soil movement can make leaning trees unstable fast.
This is one of the most overlooked signs homeowners miss.
Soil heaving looks like:
A mound forming near the base
The ground lifting on one side
Cracks in the soil around the trunk
Roots becoming more visible than last year
This usually means the root plate is shifting.
And if the root plate is shifting… the tree is losing its anchor.
KC’s saturated spring soils make this more common than people realize.
Cracks are like fractures in a bone — they weaken the entire structure.
Common spring cracks include:
Vertical splits
Tight cracks near limb junctions
Fresh openings caused by winter ice
These cracks expand as the tree takes on new spring growth. And once summer winds arrive, cracked limbs or trunks are some of the first to fail.
In Kansas City, early signs of pests or fungus can indicate stress.
Things to watch for:
Powdery mildew
Ants or carpenter ants on the trunk
Fungal growth
Early leaf spots
Bark falling off in sections
When a tree is already weakened, pests aren’t the problem — they’re the symptom.
A healthy canopy is evenly shaped, full, and consistent.
A struggling tree might have:
One side that won’t fill out
Thin or sparse growth on top
Heavy weight on one side
Bare branches next to full ones
This imbalance makes the tree more vulnerable in high winds.
Spring is the easiest time to assess canopy health before everything reaches full size.
Spring exposes structural issues, winter damage, and early signs of decline — things that get hidden once the canopy fills in. That’s why early inspections matter.
A spring evaluation can help you:
Identify which trees are strong
Catch early decline before storms intensify
Decide whether a tree needs trimming, support, or removal
Improve safety around your home
Give struggling trees a better chance at healthy summer growth
And the best part?
Most problems are easier and more affordable to fix now than later.
Cartwright Tree Care has been helping Kansas City homeowners care for their trees for over 25 years. Our certified arborists can walk your yard, identify risks, and give you simple, honest recommendations.