Tornadoes Damage $13 Million in Timber in Northeast Texas

According to a Texas A&M Forest Service (TA&MFS) assessment of damages, a series of tornadoes—five of which impacted timberland—tracked across Northeast Texas on November 4th damaged timber across more than 10,000 acres. The storms destroyed an estimated $13 million worth of timber. Most of the damage to timber was on private property.

The damage assessment used forest inventory data collected by TA&MFS foresters and technicians as part of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. The data, including forest health, tree numbers, size, and conditions, was used along with satellite imagery from before and after the storms to estimate timber damage.

Damage was estimated for sawtimber (trees at least 9” in diameter at breast height) and pole timber (trees smaller than sawtimber but at least 5” in diameter at breast height). The value was determined using the most recent Texas Timber Price Trends report.