Overview

Some of your gorgeous landscape trees may be prone to damage during Texas’ severe storm weather. Are you doing everything you can to protect them and safeguard your home, other assets, and people should broken branches or a downed tree become your reality? In this blog, Houston Arbor Care Tree Service’s tree service experts tell you everything you need to know about preparing your beloved trees to weather a severe storm.

Highlights

Introduction

Whether it’s a prolonged freeze, hail, hurricanes, humidity, high winds, or intense heat, the weather in our region can be unforgiving. It can do a number on your previously healthy flora. In the blink of an eye, a once tall, sturdy, and attractive tree can be transformed into an eyesore at best and a dangerous problem at worst—one that can put your home, vehicles, business, or surrounding properties and people in jeopardy of injury or damage.

We know you don’t want that. That’s why our licensed, local arborists have developed a comprehensive guide that tells you exactly how to batten down the hatches and get your trees geared up for safety during the next storm.

Read on to learn how bad weather affects your trees and what you can do to reduce tree and property damage when strong winds, heavy snow, hail, and ice arrive.

How Does Extreme Weather Affect Your Trees’ Health and Safety?

Our hot, humid summers create the perfect environment for fungal growth, diseases, and pests that can weaken your trees over time. With their powerful winds, hurricanes can snap branches, uproot trees, and introduce saltwater from storm surges, damaging roots and disrupting tree health. Prolonged droughts and extreme heat further stress trees, leading to dehydration, leaf scorch, and stunted growth.

Lightning strikes add another layer of danger, with the potential to split trunks or cause internal damage that weakens structural integrity. Meanwhile, hailstorms and tornadoes can cause severe physical harm by bruising branches, stripping bark, and even toppling trees. Each extreme weather condition presents distinct challenges, underscoring the need for proactive care and maintenance to ensure your trees remain healthy and resilient.

A big storm may leave your trees vulnerable to a range of damage, some of which may not be immediately visible but can pose serious risks to your tree’s health and your property’s safety.

Here are the most common types of storm-related tree damage to watch for:

  • Broken or splintered branches
  • Uprooting and exposed or damaged roots
  • Split or cracked trunks
  • Leaf stripping or scorching
  • Bark damage
  • Fungal growth or rot
  • Leaning trees
  • Holes or cavities in branches or trunk
  • Pest infestations

What Can You Do To Reduce Wind and Storm Damage on Trees?

There are many things an experienced arborist can do to reduce wind and storm damage and preserve and protect your trees and your property, including:

  • Tree pruning and end weight reduction
  • Tree cabling and bracing
  • Tree health inspections and treatments
  • Hazard tree removal

In the following sections, we’ll break down the steps to take to secure your trees against an upcoming bad weather system.

How Do You Prune Trees To Minimize Storm Damage?

To enhance their resilience, prepare your trees for high winds and stormy weather using general pruning and end weight reduction techniques. General pruning focuses on removing dead, diseased, or weak branches, improving your tree’s overall structure, and reducing the risk of falling debris during storms.

End weight reduction takes this further by targeting the outermost portions of long or heavy branches, selectively trimming smaller limbs and foliage to reduce leverage and strain. This careful trimming combination decreases wind resistance and minimizes the chances of limb failure.

Reinforcing Trees: Cabling and Bracing Explained

Reinforcing your trees with cabling and bracing reduces risks during storms by providing additional structural support to vulnerable limbs. Cabling uses flexible, high-strength cables installed between major branches or the trunk to redistribute weight and lessen strain during high winds or heavy rainfall. Bracing stabilizes split trunks or weak branch junctions with rigid rods, preventing them from breaking under pressure.

These techniques strengthen your tree’s overall structure, minimizing the chance of falling branches or uprooted trees and protecting your property and the safety of those nearby.

The Role of Tree Health in Storm Resilience

Your tree’s health is the key to its ability to withstand storms. A strong, well-fed, hydrated, healthy tree is naturally more flexible and resilient, making it better equipped to handle high winds, drought, heavy ice, and snow. Trees that struggle with weak roots, disease, or pests are much more likely to snap or topple during severe weather.

That’s where an arborist comes in. They keep your trees in top shape by checking for pests, diseases, or other issues that might go unnoticed. They’ll also provide care like fertilizing to strengthen roots, pruning to reduce wind resistance, and deep watering during dry spells.

How Can You Tell if a Tree Is a Hazard or About To Fall?

Knowing when a tree is about to fall can save you from serious property damage or injury. Look for visible warning signs like leaning, especially if the lean is new or has become more pronounced over time. You should also check for cracks in the trunk or major branches since these can indicate structural weakness.

Exposed or damaged roots are another red flag. They may mean your tree’s foundation is unstable. You might also notice dead or decaying wood, missing bark, or fungus growth at the base of the trunk, all weakening your tree over time.

Other indicators include sudden canopy thinning or leaves only growing on one side of the tree. Consider tree removal when you suspect a damaged or unhealthy tree may pose the risk of falling on your property.

Regular Tree Maintenance Is Your First Line of Defense

Now that you know the tree maintenance best practices you can use as your primary defense to protect your trees and property from the effects of storm damage, you can take proactive steps to make your trees strong, healthy, and resilient.

Partnering with a skilled arborist will help you identify and address potential risks before a storm hits. Stay ahead of the weather and let Houston Arbor Care Tree Service give your trees the care they need to preserve your landscape’s safety, beauty, and value for years to come.

Looking for a licensed, local arborist? Give us a call at (281) 599-8733.