Connecticut trees and forests remain, improbably, reasonably healthy following three major storms

Battered by three enormous storms in the past 14 months, with many thousands of trees damaged or downed, Connecticut trees and forests remain, improbably, reasonably healthy.

After last year's Tropical Storm Irene and the October snowstorm, and just days after Sandy lashed the state, foresters and forest scientists are once again assessing damage and estimating long-term impacts on the health of woodlands.

Connecticut forests weathered the three storms with far less damage than might be expected. That's surprising, because although Connecticut is often seen as a suburban state, it is 58 percent forested, with tree canopies often comparatively dense even in urban areas, making it vulnerable in major storms.