There’s a lot to love about Oklahoma summers, including (and especially) the beauty and the color all around us. But that beauty comes with a cost: Oklahoma summer storms, which can sometimes be devastating in their intensity and severity.
You know what can happen to your property when a major storm tears through: yard debris, downed branches, uprooted trees, decimated bushes and shrubs. It’s not a pretty picture; in fact, it can be pretty dangerous.
As a result, we at GreenPro wanted to share with you some of the things that you can do to effectively prepare your landscape and property ahead of a coming storm, as well as some things you can do in the immediate aftermath. If you’ve been paying attention to the weather, you know that Oklahoma is bracing for some more storms in the next few weeks. Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you weather those storms as smoothly as possible!
Prepare, Prepare, Prepare
When it comes to preparing for a storm, you want to make sure to give your property a thorough evaluation ahead of time. It’s helpful to look over everything with a critical eye. Low hanging branches and unstable bushes all pose a threat to your home, especially your windows and roof. Trimming them back will reduce the amount of debris that could otherwise impact your home, cars, or property, as well as protect your neighbors from similar damage. (You don’t want to be liable if fallen trees from your property damage someone else’s.)
Well-cared-for trees are one of the best ways to protect your home from storm damage; their strong sturdy roots and bulky trunks can protect your home from getting the worst of bad winds. But trees that are unstable that pose a threat, especially trees that are splitting or that have weak roots or dead branches. Proper tree care, particularly pruning, increases the rate at which your trees will be able to survive the storms–cutting your trees, branches, and foliage back so they can grow more effectively also carries long-term benefits.
Additionally, homeowners also frequently have loose junk around their property, be it spare car parts, tools, or extra plywood; removing that junk is another key factor for protecting your property from damage that could be caused by high winds and major storms.
After a Storm
All the preparation in the world can’t protect you from some damage, however. That’s why it’s so important that, after a storm passes, you go around your property and evaluate it for any issues that may arise as a result of storm damage.
Specifically, it’s so important that homeowners do a few things:
- Survey your property and remove trees or branches that are blocking access to your home
- Cut any leaning or split trees that have a high probability of falling and causing additional damage to lives or property.
- Remove trees that are blocking access to utility poles or boxes.
- Evaluate storm damage to make sure as many trees as possible are saved.
Some of this work you can do yourself; oftentimes however it’s wisest to bring in a professional who can help you evaluate your landscape, spot any problem areas, and help you clean up from the last storm as well as prepare for any future ones. Among GreenPro’s many specialties are storm preparedness, and getting our our clients–and their properties–ready as possible for any damage that may be caused to their landscapes. Need a hand? Worried about upcoming storms? Why not call GreenPro today? We’ll help you weather the storm!