Fallen trees in Guernsey could be in the 'low thousands' following Storm Goretti

Monday, 12 January 2026 11:45

Guernsey Trees For Life plan to begin a public fund to help buy and plant replacement native trees.

The clean up in Guernsey continues, but so does counting the cost of last week's storm which was directly above the island for an extended period, bringing with it consistently damaging winds.

Colin Dodd, who is a committee member of Guernsey Trees For Life, says the power Storm Goretti unleashed was too much for otherwise healthy trees:

"It is sheer force. We've seen some really unusual trees that are completely healthy where the trunk's been snapped seven or eight feet up."

Public spaces like Le Guet and Sausmarez Park have been badly affected.

Fir and evergreens were also toppled in high numbers because they are always in leaf.

Mr Dodd says the number of trees felled or damaged could be in the 'low thousands' which is far more than initial estimates:

"On the roadside, we see the damage, but we don't see the trees behind the hedges, internal stuff.

"I think some of these big estates that we don't see have had more damage, but no one's seen it yet."

Guernsey Trees For Life says the damage is probably similar to the infamous hurricane of 1987.

In an attempt to re green Guernsey, they are going to begin a fund for people to donate to:

"There are a lot of corporates that are very supportive of us anyway, both with volunteers and on the financial side, and trees are something people treasure."

The charity regularly plants native species on public and private land but the Storm has given this far more urgency.

The money would also be used to look after the saplings after planting.