Hurricane Preparation for Your Trees
On Tuesday, August 18th, a tornado touched down in the city of Deland. This was no small weather pattern that sprung up and blew over a few trashcans before disappearing, either. E2 winds of 175 miles per hour ripped through the city, causing massive damages to homes, businesses, and infrastructure. It’s safe to say: hurricane preparation has been in the conversation a lot, lately.
Florida has always had a complicated relationship with high-pressure systems. Hurricanes hammer the state from June through November, every year, and it’s only the intensity of each storm that differs.
The weather will always be unpredictable, no matter where you go. When that means the difference between a massive hurricane or a light storm, though, it’s best to get prepared. And, in a state like Florida, a big part of that preparation has to be the trees surrounding your home. After all, your yard is likely the first part of your home a storm will come into contact with.
Let’s take a closer look at what you can do to trim back your trees ahead of a hurricane.
Be Prepared
Like with all the important things in life, you should never leave emergency trimming until the last minute. You can buy new shutters or repair your gutters a day or two beforehand because those are measurable projects. If it takes an afternoon to install a gutter, all you need is an afternoon, right?
Trimming a tree works differently for two big reasons. Firstly, it’s in high demand in Florida especially. A tree company with a good reputation is likely going to be booked up a few weeks in advance, especially if the weather service has confirmed a large hurricane. That means a locked schedule you can’t edge into unless their other clients pull out.
The second reason you can’t trim trees at the last minute is because it’s dangerous. Let’s say you can’t a tree service three days ahead of a hurricane, and you decide to just do it yourself. First of all, unless you have experience and maybe a certification, this is a bad and dangerous idea. There are any number of ways you could hurt yourself, and then the hurricane would be the least of your worries.
But it’s also different for a very specific reason: you’re creating new debris that could blow into your home. If you trim after a warning or watch is announced, or if you take the debris to the curb, you’ll need to be 100% sure you got all of it. Storms will pick up every piece of debris, creating a whole new set of problems you now have to deal with.
Think Ahead
If Florida’s yearly hurricanes have taught us one thing, it’s that we can never know how a storm will change during its lifespan. You’ve got to be prepared for the worst so nothing ever comes as a surprise. Get your trees professionally cut at the beginning of the storm season (early June) and you won’t have to worry about it again until next year.
Think of it this way: the best time to remove a tree is while it’s upright. The worst time? After it’s come crashing through your roof into the middle of your living room.
A professional tree cut before a hurricane effectively reduces your exposure. If something bad happens, you’ll be able to say you did everything you could.
Hurricane Preparation: There’s No Time Like Now
So, yes, elephant in the room: we’re already well into hurricane season, and if you haven’t already gotten yours trimmed, you’re a little late to the party. But not to worry! Visit SB Tree Service if you live in Volusia and Brevard counties, find out about our services, and let’s get your trees hurricane-ready ASAP!
