Storm Damage Cleanup Tips

Doug Bedford August 30, 2018

Severe storms can happen any time here in the Mid-South. Our biggest storm season is in the spring, with a second one in early winter, but we’ve seen damage-producing storms in just about every month of the year before. Memphis and its surrounding communities also happen to be heavily populated by trees, and when you put the two together, you can end up with a significant amount of damage and debris to clear up. Red’s Tree Service is equipped to remove big, heavy limbs or whole trees from houses, cars or any other structure that may be harmed by stormy weather conditions. Our expert team is also available to prune tree limbs and cut any branches that might have fallen into your power lines, but you can also help your trees weather the storms by assessing their health before bad weather strikes.

Inspecting your trees before a storm

If you know storms are likely, take some time to observe your trees and check for any signs of damage or illness, such as:

  • cracks in large branches or the tree trunk itself
  • decay or disease anywhere in the tree
  • a hollow area in the trunk
  • a tree that is leaning
  • branches hanging over a building
  • trees close to power lines
  • mushrooms and fungi growing on trees

If you don’t feel comfortable doing this job yourself, Red’s team of professionals can provide a health and risk assessment on your trees that can help you spot potential weaknesses. If we see a problem with a tree, we can often help by eliminating small problems before they turn into big ones. This may include:

  • pruning dead, damaged, or diseased branches
  • trimming excess growth
  • removing hazardous trees
  • removing branches hanging over your house or the street
  • removing or trimming a tree that’s close to a power line

We offer a variety of services to not only keep your trees healthy and attractive, but safe and stable as well.

Damaged tree

Cleaning up after a storm

Before you head outside to clean up any damage or mess on your property, make sure the threat of lightning has passed, and that there are no downed power lines or trees leaning on power lines. Inspect your trees for large fallen branches, a split tree trunk, or broken tree top. If you don’t see any major structural damage, you’re probably fine to clean up smaller branches on your own. We recommend you do this only if the branches are less than 2” in diameter, and can be accessed from the ground without a ladder. 

You can help your trees recover after a storm through several small actions, like mulching, properly watering them, and fertilizing them. Doing this throughout the year will help maintain the health of your trees, which will often reduce the risk of storm damage.

If you do find one or more trees on your property that have fallen, look unstable, or have obvious damage, you may want to contact a professional tree service like Reds. Consider the following tips when deciding on your next move.

  • If a large branch has been pulled out or has split off from the tree, that branch should be removed.
  • If more than 50% of the living branches in the crown of a tree have broken off, the entire tree should be removed.
  • If a tree is leaning, and there’s evidence of recent root lifting, breakage, or soil movement,  should be removed
  • If a tree has a large crack in it, especially one that affects 50% or more of the main stem, it should be removed.
  • Don’t try to save or repair a partially dislodged branch or the fork of a tree that has split. This tree injury is not likely to heal and any attachment will be weak, particularly if decay sets in. Our team is experienced in cabling or bracing, which may be an option, but this process should only be performed by a professional. Any cabling will require an annual inspection.
  • Avoid the knee-jerk reaction of seeing every tree as a threat if you have experienced storm damage. Trees are valuable to your property both aesthetically and environmentally. Let our professional crew come out and assess any possible damage to your trees before you take them all down out of fear or frustration! 

Remember that it rarely pays to capitalize on quick and cheap options. You may have offers from family, friends, or people in your neighborhood to remove your hazardous limbs or fallen trees cheaply or for free, but they may not have the knowledge necessary to remove dead limbs efficiently and with minimal damage to the tree and your yard. It’s best to wait for professionals like Red’s to arrive!

Tree falling on road

Keep your Mid-South trees healthy and safe with Red’s Tree Service

Storms can wreak havoc on even the strongest trees, but by following our tips, you’ll know how to help prepare your trees for bad weather, process any tree damage that does occur, and manage cleaning it up safely.  knowing that you did the right thing for your family and your trees. For professional help, Red’s Tree Service has an experienced team who can inspect your trees, safely remove fallen trees and branches, grind any remaining stumps, and perform a wide variety of preventive care on your property. Don’t let Memphis storms get the best of you! Get in touch with us today for a free quote.