Happens every year

[sotc]

those really are large root balls for a pine. that was saturated soil and hhigh winds combined.

 

[Cobleskill]

It's amazing pines hold up to the wind as well as they do with the little root ball.

 

[Underwor]

Pines hold up because they are packed in together tight enough that only the top few feet of the tree gets the high winds. That is why the edges of many clear cuts are surrounded with a lot of down trees. They are definitely part of a plant community, all helping each other.

 

[TC3]

I couldn't view the pix ? >>> but can just imagine.
BobOfTheUnderWorld, I never thought of it that way... a bunch of pine planted together would certainly provide a stability that one standing alone could never endure.

 

[OLD PUP]

We had a customer, said he went to his backyard & watched his huge Pine slowly fall onto his garage. He told us you could watch the root ball/ like in slow motion. This all happened on a perfectly calm day.Pine was 34" dia. x 85-90 ft. tall.