Winter’s just around the corner, and with it the potential for blizzards, ice storms, and windstorms. On the other side of the season are spring and summer thunderstorms, with their gusts and hail. Trees are highly vulnerable to storm damage, which can harm your property and pose a danger to people and pets. It’s best to do what you can ahead of bad weather to reduce the potential for such destructive impacts. Professional trimming and pruning can go a long way toward making your trees more weather resilient.

Assessing Potential Problem Trees

Certain trees are more at risk from storms than others. Here are ways to recognize those that may be especially prone to weather-related impacts.

Dead or Dying Branches & Trees/Snags

Dead or dying boughs or stems represent weak points in a canopy, easily broken off in a gusty storm. Deadwood is drier and stiffer than green wood, offering greater wind resistance and increasing the probability of breakage.

Leaning Trees

A tilt to a tree may sometimes indicate underlying structural or roothold weaknesses that raise the potential for uprooting or other storm damage.

Signs of Disease or Infestation

Trees suffering from fungal and other diseases, or ones that show significant insect damage, are likely to contain brittle points that may fail during a storm.

Trees in Close Proximity to Structures

Even a healthy tree situated close to buildings is inherently a greater risk during a storm. Every effort should be taken to bolster its weather resilience. If such a tree contains a lot of deadwood or shows signs of disease, it’s a candidate for removal.

Shallow or Saturated Soil

Watch out for trees situated in shallow, rocky soil or a soggy, saturated zone. These are often more vulnerable to toppling during a storm.

Pre-Storm Preventive Trimming & Pruning

Tree specialists can significantly reduce the odds of major storm damage to trees through judicious pruning and trimming. This isn’t work to take on yourself. Tree-trimming can be dangerous, and an untrained person attempting the job may do more harm than good.

Arborists can remove dying or dead limbs, including those already loosened dead boughs known as widowmakers. They may also be able to cut out afflicted branches or stems to halt disease spread.

Structural trimming can address issues of weakened or strained wood arising from co-dominant stems or excessively heavy limbs. Depending on the tree’s species or variety, it may be possible to encourage a narrower profile to minimize the effect of high winds or snow loads. Canopy thinning can reduce a tree’s wind resistance, thereby making it less vulnerable to storms. And if a tree is deemed simply too hazardous, a professional crew can safely and efficiently remove it with minimal impact to property

Reduce the Risk of Storm Damage With Professional Tree Services

Do everything to protect your trees, yourself, and your property from storm damage by enlisting professional tree care specialists. From structural pruning and canopy thinning to removing hazardous trees, you need a skilled arborist to do this sort of work. At Curtis Point Tree Service, we provide expert trimming/pruning as well as meticulous emergency post-storm cleanup and tree maintenance in Spokane, WA. Get in touch with us today!