Living in a tropical storm or hurricane-prone area means needing to be prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws your way. A key part of any homeowner's household prep should be making sure your yard and mature trees are ready to weather the storm. Healthy, well-maintained trees with strong roots are less likely to cause severe damage to your home and personal property and improve the chances that you can keep your loved ones safe. Tree health is a year-round event, but during hurricane season, it's increasingly important that you inspect and care for your trees to help your home and community.
Plan Ahead for Professional Inspections
"The key to safe trees in any type of weather is regular inspection and maintenance, but this is especially important during hurricane season when you’re faced with such harsh winds and rain," notes Blake Watkins, Certified Master Arborist and Operations Partner at Monster Tree Service. "Having your trees professionally inspected every three to five years and frequently pruned is recommended in most situations, but based on the condition of your trees, an annual inspection could be beneficial as well. If you haven’t had an arborist on your property in a while, reach out to your local professional tree care company. Many, like our team, will professionally assess your trees for free."
Avoid Root Pruning
"Avoid tree root pruning unless absolutely necessary, only doing so when advised by a professional arborist, as this can destabilize the tree or make it unhealthy," warns Watkins. "Water and properly fertilize your tree to encourage deep rooting to withstand hurricane-force winds and flooding."
Beware of Branch Thinning
Broken branches may not lead to the most severe storm damage, but still poses a risk to your property if the wrong branch lands in the wrong place. That said, pruning dead branches may not be in your best interest, and could even cause costly damage during strong winds:
"Before severe weather, inspect the upper tree canopy for dead branches. Try to estimate the diameter of the branch with the expectation that a dead branch will fall at some point. Overextended and over-exposed live branches can also be hazardous, especially if your tree has been prone to branch failure in the past," explains Watkins. "For a tree in this state, avoid thinning trees to let wind pass through them, as it can expose previously protected branches to the full force of the wind. Instead, ask your local arborist to leave the tree full and reduce risk of damage from any weak branches that are overextended. A full, narrow canopy spreads out the force of the wind over the entire tree and allows it to better withstand storms."
