What You Need to Know About Trees and Hurricane Season

Published on June 27, 2024

“What should I do to get my trees prepared for Hurricane Season?” This is one of the most common questions people ask. The good news is the answer is relatively simple.

The best way to be prepared is to become familiar and learn more about the trees on your property. You want to have a basic knowledge of the species, structural strengths and weaknesses, proximity to potential targets, likelihood of failure and potential damage etc.

For years, the tree service industry has used Hurricane Season as a means to generate business, often times using fear as a sales tactic. The truth is “hurricane preparation” for trees is something that occurs over the course of time. There is no magic bullet that is going to “hurricane proof” your trees.

• Proper tree maintenance, particularly in mature hardwood/shade trees, is an ongoing process that takes shape over the course of many years.

   

• The pruning can be done at any time of year, you don’t have to wait until hurricane season. I like to use the analogy of comparing tree maintenance to a healthy lifestyle of diet and exercise. If someone wants to be strong and healthy, they must take care of themselves. You can’t neglect your mind and body for a majority of your life then all of a sudden eat right and exercise for a week or two and expect to be “healthy”. It is a process. Good health is the cumulative effect of good habits. Your trees are no different.

   

• One of the most important things that you can do as the owner of trees is to establish a relationship with a local tree service company that you trust. We are fortunate here in the City of Dunedin to have a number of high-quality tree service companies based in North Pinellas County. Do your research, talk to a few of them and see which one you like the most. Price is one factor, but not the only factor.

   

• You should hire someone that prescribes work that makes sense to you. Hire someone that educates you about your trees and explains the reasons for the work being prescribed. It is their duty to earn your business and your trust. Be wary of someone that immediately recommends removal of your trees. There are times that complete removal is warranted, but it is pretty rare that a tree “has” to be removed.

The fact that the tree service market is so competitive works in your favor as a homeowner in Dunedin. You have many choices, and you deserve to be educated and ultimately hire a company that has a vision for your trees. Not only for the first pruning session but for the rest of the tree’s life. Proper pruning is critically important. We have all seen examples of catastrophic damage as the result of tree failure on the news over the years. These examples are real. However, a number of the failures could have been predicted or at least identified as candidates for potential failure.

The failures are often the result of something called co-dominant failure which is a pretty obvious structural deficiency that can be easily identified by an experienced ISA Certified Arborist. There are other factors that can be identified such as over pruning and improper pruning. Certain trees have general inherent strengths and weaknesses as well.

And please remember that you can always reach out to your local municipal arborist, whose first priority is public safety. You can expect an honest unbiased opinion on your best course of action going forward. It is also important to remember that we have been thorough a lot of storm and hurricane seasons and we still have a lot of beautiful, majestic trees throughout our city.

The reality is that catastrophic damage due to tree failures is a fairly rare occurrence in the grand scheme of things. Do not be scared, be prepared!

For any questions relating to this survey or the report, please contact City Arborist Rick Warner at RWarner@DunedinFl.Net