Preparing trees for hurricane season in South Louisiana comes down to three things: find the weak trees while the sky is quiet, have a licensed arborist fix or remove them well before a storm is named, and stay out of the cutting once the storm has passed. Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the best tree work happens long before the first name on the list.
What makes a tree fail in a hurricane?
Trees are built for ordinary wind. LSU AgCenter says most are adapted only to average conditions, not to a major storm, so a hurricane finds the weak point and uses it. The usual weak points:
- Dead or hanging limbs, especially over a roof, driveway or play area.
- Forked trunks. Two stems of similar size that meet in a tight V, with bark pinched between them, tend to crack and split right there.
- Damaged roots. Construction, trenching and utility work all injure the root system, and a tree with poor roots can go over whole.
- Disease, insects or old age that have quietly weakened the wood.
- A lean, or soil cracked and heaved up on one side of the trunk.
- Saturated ground. Hurricane rain softens the soil, and wind plus soft soil is how trees uproot.
Which trees hold up, and which don’t?
Species matters, but less than condition. The most useful study is a University of Florida survey of about 4,900 trees in Panhandle neighborhoods after Hurricanes Erin and Opal in 1995. Live oak, sabal palm, southern magnolia and dogwood came through best. Laurel oak, sweetgum, pecan, Chinese tallow, silver maple and slash pine did worse. The authors call their rankings preliminary, and the storms hit in 1995, so treat the list as a tendency, not a promise. A healthy sweetgum can outlast a live oak with a rotten trunk.
When should I trim trees before hurricane season?
Early. LSU AgCenter’s advice is to start long before a storm is coming, because some of the work takes time. In practice, that means having your trees looked at before June 1 and scheduling any trimming or removal that turns up while the calendar is open.
Waiting is the expensive choice. Once a system forms in the Gulf, everyone with a tree near their house makes the same phone call on the same day.
What pruning helps, and what hurts?
Helps:
- Removing dead and defective limbs.
- Pruning forked or V-shaped trunks early in a tree’s life.
- Lifting limbs that hang over a roofline. (Limbs over utility lines are for the utility company to handle, not you.)
- Light, careful thinning of a very dense crown to cut wind load.
Hurts:
- Topping. Chopping a tree back to stubs shows up on the International Society of Arboriculture’s list of risk warning signs, and correcting past topping is part of the preventive care it describes.
- Over-thinning. The University of Florida research discourages both topping and excessive thinning. A tree stripped hollow inside carries its weight at the ends of the limbs, which makes the ends more likely to break.
If you have young trees, LSU AgCenter also suggests restaking them as a storm approaches, with the stakes driven in deep. For anything bigger than a hand-pruner job, see our tree trimming and pruning service.
Should I cut down trees near my house before a hurricane?
Only the ones that are truly compromised: dead, badly split, leaning, or weakened at the roots, and close enough to hit the house. A healthy, sound tree usually earns its place. The way to tell the difference is a tree risk assessment, where a licensed arborist reads the trunk, the roots and the lean and tells you what is a real hazard. If removal is the answer, schedule it now, and do not take the tree down yourself. Professional tree removal is rigged to bring the tree down under control.
What not to do once a storm is in the Gulf
- Don’t climb a ladder or start a chainsaw job in building wind.
- Don’t top or strip a tree at the last minute “to be safe.” Topping and heavy pruning both appear on the International Society of Arboriculture’s list of risk warning signs.
- Don’t wait to document your property. LSU AgCenter recommends photos or video of the site beforehand, so you have a record of how it looked.
- Don’t assume a crew can fit you in. The window for planned work has closed.
Is it safe to cut up a fallen tree myself?
For most homeowners, no. After the storm, work through this list in order:
- Treat every downed line as live. LSU AgCenter warns that even telephone lines, cable lines and fence wires can become charged when a power line is down nearby. Call the utility and stay back.
- Look up. Broken limbs hanging overhead, or a tree resting in another tree or on a roof, can keep moving after the wind stops.
- Don’t cut anything under tension. A loaded trunk can snap back or roll when it is cut.
- Leave big limbs and overhead cuts to a pro. Both LSU AgCenter and the International Society of Arboriculture say so plainly.
How do I document storm damage and know who to call?
Take photos of the tree, the damage and anything it rests on before anyone moves a thing. LSU AgCenter suggests following up with a written report to your insurance company. Then check the trees that look fine. The International Society of Arboriculture says larger trees near people or property should be examined for cracks in the trunk or limbs, hanging branches and heaved soil.
Who gets the call depends on the problem. A line down or sparking is a utility and emergency-services call. A tree on a structure, or leaning over one, is a job for storm damage cleanup or emergency tree assistance.
Louisiana Tree Masters has been in the field since 1994, working across Lafayette, Acadiana and down to Houma, under Louisiana Arborist License #26-0706. To get a tree looked at before the next season, or to describe storm damage, request an estimate. Property in Lafayette or Houma is within our service area.
