[Arizona Carolyn]

The palm trees take the storms pretty well -- well, except for the aforementioned lightening magnet part -- but Mesquite trees send out one large root and a lot of smaller roots.

The large root usually runs downhill towards the lake and when monsoon season starts you had better make sure they are throughly trimmed -- otherwise it will get picked up like a toothpick and tossed on the ground.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I have a large oak tree about 300-400 yards behind the house on the other side of a large vegetable garden. Part of the root system is already several feet below the lawn surface of the backyard next to the house.