Oversaturated Soil Causes Texas Trees to Fall

Everybody I know down here in Texas loves the shade from a beautiful big tree on a hot sunny day. That goes without saying. But if the video at the bottom of this article indicates, you might want to give a little shove to the tree first if you plan to picnic underneath it.

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Texas Trees Topple After Heavy Rain Saturates Soil

Apparently, something somewhat strange and definitely dangerous has been happening throughout the state: Trees have begun toppling over, taking the entire root system and soil with them. But why is this happening? The answer lies beneath your feet.

This all started with the unrelenting heavy rainfall we've been getting here nonstop for over a month. While the rain is welcomed because almost the entire state was in a drought, too much of a good thing can quickly become a problem. The soil in many parts of Texas has become oversaturated with water, turning what was once firm ground into a squishy, unstable mess.

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Think about it like walking on a super-soaked sponge. That’s pretty much what the trees are dealing with. Their roots, which normally anchor them firmly into the ground, are now in loose, watery soil that can no longer provide the support they need. Without this stability, even massive trees with huge root systems are left vulnerable. They sway in the wind until eventually giving up to gravity.