Maybe you haven’t experienced it yourself, but you’ve heard about falling trees injuring or killing people or damaging property. If this sounds familiar and you have large trees on your property, you’ll find this article helpful. 

Many of these mishaps occur when trees suffer storm damage. Summer thunderstorms are particularly notorious for knocking down branches or whole trees. In this post, we delve deeper into what you should do with storm-damaged trees, as advised by a trusted provider of emergency tree service in Marietta, GA. 

What Happens After a Storm Damages a Large Tree? 

When a storm damages a tree, it may also affect the surrounding environment. It’ll leave the nearby trees vulnerable, and you may notice damage to them in the next few years. 

After the disturbance by the storm, sunlight will be able to reach the understory. This will expose the soil, and give room for new plants. These plants could be younger trees or unwanted weeds. 

Storm damage may also leave you with a thinning canopy, which hampers your tree’s ability to filter wind, leaving the tree vulnerable to more damage.

How Should You Tackle Tree Storm Damage?

Once the storm passes, ensure the area is safe. Steer clear of areas with fallen power lines — they could still be active and deadly!

The next thing you need to do is remove significantly broken branches, repair torn bark, and perform other activities that may reduce the risk of injuries and property damage.

Inspect the angle of the leaves on limbs still attached to the storm-damage trees. This way, you can easily identify broken tree limbs that could fall at any time.

You might want to call a qualified arborist to assess the damage. They’ll ensure no organisms have invaded the tree after storm damage and properly prune them.  Pruning helps remove stubs from a broken limb, sealing the wood and preventing rot that can kill your tree gradually over time. 

Protect Your Trees From Future Storm Damage

Now that you know what to do with storm-damaged trees, how do you ensure it doesn’t come to this point in the first place?

There may be no definitive way to protect your trees against storm damage, but there are measures you can take to make them less vulnerable to damage when a raging storm shows up at your door. 

Start with a comprehensive assessment of all the trees on your property. This will help you identify the trees that might be most prone to storm damage. A tree will be more likely to fall during a storm if it has any of these issues:

• Dead wood
• Decaying parts
• Cracks
• Weak or hanging limbs
• Root problems

Giving your tree extra loving care goes a long way in protecting it against damage by storm. This includes addressing any problems as soon as you notice them. Here are some protective measures to get you started:

• Thin out the canopy to allow the wind to pass through the tree freely instead of hitting your tree like a wall in a storm!
• Always remove dead or damaged limbs.
• Install cabling and bracing if it’s necessary.

Contact Your Local Tree Experts for Assistance

If you need help to deal with storm-damaged trees, SoutheastTree is your go-to local arborist. We’ve served Marietta, GA, and the surrounding areas since 1997. We provide a wide range of services, including:

• Tree Removal
• Tree Trimming & Pruning
• Emergency Tree Service

Contact us today at 770-977-8733 (TREE) to request a free estimate for tree care services or to learn more about preventing storm damage on trees.