Hurricane season is coming up, and with hurricanes sometimes comes property damage. The key to minimizing property damage is to make sure your trees are prepared to take on a storm. There is no such thing as hurricane resistant trees—but with proper care by an ISA certified Arborist, trees can be more resistant to storm damage.
Preparing your Trees before a storm:
- Proper pruning will help trees weather a storm better and helps to minimize damage to the tree and your property.
- A strong deep-rooted tree may not fall during a storm, but broken, damaged, and dead limbs can be torn from trees during a storm and turned into dangerous projectiles.
- Crown thinning is another way to prepare your trees for a storm. This is done by removing foliage and limbs from inside the crown to allow air to flow more freely through the crown. Crown thinning removes a portion of the tree’s weight from the base of the tree.
- Proper pruning and crown thinning will give your trees an advantage during the storm season.
- Increase your tree and soil health. A tree’s chances of survival through a hurricane is greatly improved when a tree is in good health and surrounded by healthy soil.
- If you have younger, more vulnerable trees, it is very important to secure the trees with cables and bracing. Younger trees are at a higher risk of becoming a property hazard during a hurricane or storm.
What to look for
When inspecting your trees before storm season, you should look for these key potential hazards. If any of your trees meet one or more of these criteria, then you should contact our ISA Certified Arborist. Assess your trees risk for damage including:
- Hollow, old, decayed trees
- Hanging or loose branches
- Cracks in the trunk or limbs
- Branches that could cause property damage
- Improperly formed branches
- Leaning trees
- Multiple trunks
- Tree too close to your home or power lines
- Trees with dense canopies
- New plantings or young trees
The key to minimizing your risk against property damage is storm preparedness. High winds and heavy rain can wreak havoc on weak and unprepared trees. If you have any concern that your tree may not be prepared for storm season, then you should contact an Arborist to take a proper look at your tree.
