Whether your area is prone to snowstorms, tornados, or hurricanes, storms can pose a threat to the trees in your yard. There are specific indicators in a tree's structure and health that could increase the risk of a tree failing in a storm situation. Damaged and diseased trees are especially susceptible to downed branches, splitting, and toppling over.
To help protect your precious landscaping from storms, ask yourself if your trees need storm preparation. Identify the signs that a tree needs proactive storm prep work and feel safe knowing that you’ve taken preventative measures to help your trees make it through the next storm
When to Use Proactive Tree Storm Protection
If mature trees grace your property, it can be challenging to see past the beauty and analyze the potential risks they pose during storm season. So, how do you know which trees are most likely to fall in a storm?
Consider proactive care before the next storm hits if…
- The tree could hit your home if it falls.
- Branches hang over roofs, driveways, sidewalks, or streets.
- The tree shows signs of peeling bark, dead limbs, signs of decay, hollow spots, mushrooms growing on the tree, or dead leaves.
- Branches are broken or split.
- You find evidence of pest infestations or disease.
- The root system has been impacted by construction or is showing signs of heaving.
In some cases, it’s best to call in a trained arborist for tree removal services to eliminate the risk posed by the tree. However, you can mitigate risks with proactive storm prep work, including pruning and plant health care services, when applied regularly over time.
Storm Damage to Trees: What Can You Expect?
The three biggest threats to trees in a storm are:
- Severe winds. According to the National Severe Storms Laboratory, severe winds exceeding 50mph are the most common cause of tree damage from storms. They surpass the destruction caused by lightning and the even winds from tornadoes, which are far less frequent than regular windstorms. Strong wind gusts can down branches and even uproot mature trees, damaging property and threatening safety.
- Lightning. With thousands of lightning storms happening around the world at any given time, lightning poses a severe safety risk to trees. Lightning can damage and kill a tree, even sparking fires that can spread throughout entire communities. While you can’t entirely prevent lightning from striking a tree, a tree lightning protection system made from copper wire can redirect the energy into the ground with minimal harm.
- Snow and ice. Ice and wet, heavy snow can weigh down the tree, causing it to sag and leading to broken limbs or even uprooting. In addition to prepping your yard for storms, having a winter storm recovery plan to mitigate snow and ice is essential in cold areas.
- Extreme cold. Abnormally cold weather may damage trees at a cellular level. This often leaves the tree struggling during the next season. Plant health care services can help to restore your tree’s health after a tough season.
3 Ways to Prep Your Trees for Storm Season
1. Inspect your trees
Healthy trees will have a better time weathering the storm than unhealthy trees. Inspecting trees for dead sections, broken branches, diseases, pest infestations, root rot, ground heaving, and leaning will allow you to address and treat the issues accordingly. The trained arborist at Monster Tree Service can inspect your tree, assess its health, and offer recommendations on the next steps for storm preparation.
2. Pruning and trimming
Broken and dead branches fall easily during a windy or icy storm. Regular pruning and trimming can significantly decrease the chances of damage to your trees and home if the work is completed correctly. Improperly thinned trees may be less stable. Monster Tree Service offers corrective pruning, deadwooding, and crown-density reduction to keep your trees storm-ready.
3. Maintain tree health
Investing in plant health care services like fertilization, insect and disease management, and soil and root management keep your tree looking great and prevent compromising health issues. Healthy trees are better prepared to weather the storm as well as recover from any minor damages caused by high winds.
High winds and ice weight can cause stress on large, weak, or otherwise compromised trees. Cabling and bracing can help prevent trees and tree limbs from falling.
If the next storm causes damage, the Monster Tree Service team is here to assist with emergency tree removal and cleanup services. We know you care about your trees as much as we do, so we want to help you keep them healthy no matter what happens. Together we can weather the storm!
Stay Ahead of the Storm: Call Today
Professional storm prep could be the difference your beautiful landscaping needs this storm season and for years to come. For a storm prep evaluation of the trees in your yard, call your local Monster Tree Service at (888) 744-0155 or request an estimate online.