In the event we are directly impacted by Hurricane Ida, Trees Plus is ready to help keep you and your family safe!
Following the storm, as soon as it is safe to do so, Trees Plus will mobilize crews to provide emergency tree care services, as we have done since 1992.
Please call one of the numbers below if you need any assistance. Be Safe!
Thank you and stay safe!
Warm Regards,
The Trees Plus Team
Santa Rosa 850.939.9979
Okaloosa 850.244.1680
Escambia 850.916.9992
info@treesplusonline.com
www.TreesPlusOnline.com
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I was conducting a hurricane evaluation for a client recently and a question came up. How do I hurricane-proof my trees? Many clients have the same goal of tree preservation along with home protection. The truth is, most indigenous trees, if properly maintained, should perform without failure during a wind event. The key is eliminating pre-existing conditions while lead to tree failure. Following Hurricane Ike that struck the Houston area in 2008, insurance carriers commissioned a study to analyze the claims they paid. One Houston company discovered that roughly 50% of all structural losses were caused by fallen trees and tree limbs. However, his insurer went one step further and hired an arborist to inspect the trees and determine why the failure had occured. That high winds caused the tree failures was not a surprise; the surprise was 100% of the sampled trees exhibited pre-existing health and/or structural conditions which served as the catalyst to the trees' failure. Of the sampled properties, there was not a single healthy tree which failed. As a result, many arborists, me included, believe most trees losses can be avoided with proper identification and treatment of pre-existing symptoms and regularly scheduled maintenance.
So now that we know tree failures can be avoided, what are the steps to take to protect trees and structures? Trees' conditions can be very difficult to diagnose. Even a hollow trunk can still support a full crown. This is when an arborist with experience in risk assessment is vital to proper diagnosis. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), of which I am a member, provides a list of certified arborists in your area to aid in selecting a tree service provider. Take the appropriate steps to reduce or eliminate potential tree hazards prior to the next storm. Use an arborist to assist you in this risk assessment process and with all your tree service needs. Next time I will discuss how trees can save and even make us money.
Originally printed in August 2009 in the Fort Walton Beach Chamber Official Publication