You need to ask yourself whether you are ready as the hurricane season approaches. We get asked a lot about preparing trees and yard for upcoming storms. Hurricane season can enhance tree risk in Fort Worth if proper precautions are not taken. As a leading Fort Worth tree service we have a deep understanding of how to start preparing for the hurricane season to minimize damage.
Preparing Your Trees Before the Storm Hits
Certain trees, such as palm trees are built for withstanding hurricanes and tropical storms. However, there are other trees that need to be prepared. These are a few tips we recommend for making your trees more secure:
- Proper trimming by an expert will make your tree more capable of weathering the storm. It will also help in minimizing damage to your property and the tree.
- Broken, damaged and dead limbs can easily get torn from the tree even if the tree won’t fall
- While we don’t recommend crown thinning, it is useful in minimizing damage during storm season. You can have weak limbs and foliage removed from inside the crown to allow for free air movement.
- You should take steps for increasing the health of your tree by enriching the soil. This will ensure that your tree is strong enough to brace strong winds.
- Make sure you secure younger and more vulnerable trees with cables and bracing. Younger trees don’t have the complex root systems to hold them in place.
Inspect Your Trees
These are a few key potential hazards you need to keep an eye out for while inspecting your trees before a storm:
- Signs of age, decay, and damage
- Loose or hanging branches
- Cracks in limbs or the trunk
- Leaning trees
- Improperly formed branches
- Multiple trunks
- Trees with dense canopy
- Trees close to power lines or property
- Young trees and new plantings
Storm preparedness is the key to minimizing property damage. Heavy rain and high winds can cause havoc on trees that are unprepared or weak.
Preparing the Yard
The most important step to take while preparing the yard for coming hurricane season is to remove any loose lying debris. You should also get your yard furniture out of the way. Anything that is not secured to the ground is at a potential risk of becoming a projectile during the storm. You can keep your family and home safe by minimizing projectile objects.
Another important step is to keep the yard clean. This includes driveways, gutters, porches, and decks. Cleaning before the storm will reduce your work afterwards. This also ensures that the drainage systems are unobstructed and clear. Stemming from this, the most critical step to take is turning off the power. If you are still worried about tree risk in Fort Worth because of storms, you can always call the experts.