What to Look For Hazardous defects are visible signs that the tree is failing. A tree with defects is not hazardous, however, unless some portion of it is within striking distance of a target. Dead wood is often dry and brittle and cannot bend in the wind like a living tree or branch. A broken branch or top is lodged in a tree. A tree is dead.
Dead branches can break and fall at any time.
Cracks A crack is a deep split through the bark, extending into the wood of the tree. A crack extends deeply into, or completely through the stem. Two or more cracks occur in the same general area of the stem. A crack is in contact with another defect. A branch of sufficient size to cause injury is cracked.