Tree work planning for Harvest

A tornado track with tree damage on record

The National Weather Service documents an EF1 tornado on April 27, 2011 that crossed from Limestone County into Madison County between 4:53 and 5:07 p.m. CDT. It ran 14.6 miles with maximum winds of 90 mph and a peak width of 75 yards.

The survey records uprooted large trees and snapped-off tree tops along portions of the track, particularly from McCrary Road to Jeff Road. Trees that survived a storm like that with a partly broken crown are still standing in gardens around here, and a healed-looking canopy can hide an old failure point.

That day was not an isolated event. The Huntsville forecast area logged 39 tornadoes in total, and Madison County was struck six times.

Lowland ground next door

Harvest Square Nature Preserve, with a trailhead at 111 Allyson Sadie Blvd, covers just over 69 acres of which 33 acres are farmed, and includes 36 acres of lowland. Nearly 2 miles of trails run through it, with Terry Pond, Turner Pond and Dry Creek.

Wet lowland and a shallow creek line change rooting and drainage. A tree on the damp side of a lot behaves differently in wind from one thirty yards uphill, and grinding a stump in soft ground is a different job too.

Confirm which collection applies

Harvest addresses are not automatically covered by a city program. Establish the account for the property before planning any disposal route. Where Huntsville's rules apply, limbs cap at 5 feet with 10 cubic yards free and $55 per additional 5 cubic yards; contractor debris is excluded either way.

Because that exclusion is consistent across every jurisdiction here, the practical answer stays the same: get hauling written into the tree quote rather than hoping a pile disappears.

What to check on an old storm survivor

Look for a flattened or missing top, a large healed wound, and unions where bark is squeezed between limbs. The Extension guidance treats a horizontal or vertical trunk crack as immediate removal, and puts trees with targets beneath them first in line.

Geographic planning notes for Harvest. The local pro who answers a request confirms the exact address, timing and travel before anything is agreed. Sources retrieved September 27, 2026.