Each year windthrown trees produce millions of dollars in damages to structures, lifelines, and vehicles. In hurricanes or tornadoes this type of debris may even cause injury and death. This work will investigate mitigation procedures by coupling the results from research on tree loading and response to blast waves with natural wind field model. The combined effect of tree and direct wind damage will be studied as well as the effects of tree removal resulting in more exposed structures versus the risk of tree- related damage. Risk reduction techniques such as root reinforcement, tree crown reduction, and selection of wind resistant species will be examined in the context of new and existing urban and suburban developments. The benefits from this work could be substantive to the population of a big portion of the United States subjected every year to extreme wind episodes.
