i want to make a correction. after a second look, the dead "finger" is about 2ft. long and the total height of the tree, including the dead finger is about 12 feet tall.

When I was about 8 or so, my dad and I planted a water oak in the front yard. The house is in Kenner (coffee grind soil). We did typical 3 stake bracing for it's first few months and during passing storms. That tree started off as a little 10-12' tall fellow with about a 1-2 inch diameter trunk. Today I'm 36 and that tree is well over 50' tall with about a 40' spread. It's root spread is HUGE. It survived every passing hurricane and tropical storm, including Katrina. With some bracing in it's youth it should be fine in this hurricane prone area.

thanks nola. good to hear. we built this house, so i plan to be here a while. i hope to see it grow to such a size! there is something about water oaks that i love, almost as much as live oaks.