How can I tell if my tree was knocked over by wind or hit by lightning?

Question

All three of my 12-year old trees are now down due to last night's storm. Their roots were not uplifted from the ground (they were all split at the lower part of their trunks), and none of my neighbors trees endured comparable damage. How can I tell if they were knocked out by wind or by lightning strikes?

Answer 1

In this case, it sounds like lightning because your neighbors didn't had that happen to theirs. If it was wind, then the cut would be horizontal, lightning would be vertical. Also, if it was hit by lightning, you would find thin bark and wood shavings around the tree, and where it was cut wouldn't have many splinters, and it would be red or smoking due the very high temperature of lightning. I know this because i live by a forest and saw a tree that was hit by lightning.

Answer 2

If they were split, they were likely brought down by lightning strikes. Wind usually uproots trees, while lightning, being up-and-down most of the time, it'll split trees.

Answer 3

If they are split,then they were probably hit by lightning.