Wind and woodpeckers

A walk through the snowy woods today revealed woodpecker holes on many of the trees damaged by last summer's high winds. Which came first, the winds or the woodpeckers? Do the woodpeckers attack trees damaged by winds, or were trees weakened by woodpeckers more likely to be damaged by wind? Either way, we have some brand-new open spaces in the woods and we're wondering what weeds and wildflowers will fill those spots this summer.