Downed tree roots in Kokkolan, Finland, remain a dangerous hazard following the Hannes storm, with thousands left in place posing risks to pedestrians.
In the aftermath of the Hannes storm that hit Central and Southern Ostrobothnia in December, there remains a significant amount of uncollected timber scattered across the forests. While many tree trunks have been cut down and removed, numerous tree stumps with their roots still standing upright have been left in situ. According to Ahti Räinä, a forestry engineer with the City of Kokkola, there are thousands of these stumps within the city’s forests alone.
The peculiar circumstances surrounding the storm’s aftermath have resulted in this dangerous situation. When the trees fell, the ground was not yet frozen, and attempts to right the uprooted stumps during timber harvesting in January were unsuccessful due to the cold temperatures that prevented the earth from freezing around the roots. This has led to a precarious scenario where, as the ground begins to thaw, the uprooted stumps may collapse unexpectedly at any time, with no clear indication of when that might happen.
The risk posed by these tree stumps is considerable, as they can weigh as much as 300 kilograms, making them a serious danger to anyone who might inadvertently come into contact with them. Räinä specifically warns that the uprooted roots of spruce trees are particularly hazardous due to their surface root systems, indicating that the threat from these remnants of the storm must be addressed promptly to prevent potential injuries.
