Preparing trees for these natural disasters is a must and should be done well in advance of the stormy season. To help ease these dangers, have a professional arborist evaluate your trees. Doing this will help you determine potential weaknesses and dangers.

Over the years, growing trees will "catch" more wind and become heavier, so they are prone to increased mechanical stresses, thus increasing the chances of failure. Larger trees will also affect an increased area should they or their larger limbs fall. This means that power lines, homes and other structures that might not have been threatened a few years ago might suddenly be under threat by a tree that has grown.

What can you do?

Consult a tree care professional. Ask the arborist to evaluate problems you have found and prioritize treatment. You should also ask the arborist to look for signs of potential hazards, such as stress cracks, weak branches and other subtle or hidden indicators of potential hazards.

Look at your trees for the following warning signs:

Wires in contact with tree branches. Trees may become energized when they are contacted by electric wires. Dead or partially attached limbs hung up in the higher branches that could fall and cause damage or injury. Cracked stems and branch forks that could cause catastrophic failure of a tree section. Hollow or decayed areas on the trunk or main limbs, or mushrooms growing from the bark that indicate a decayed and weakened stem. Peeling bark or gaping wounds in the trunk, also indicates structural weakness. Fallen or uprooted trees putting pressure on other trees beneath them. Tight, V-shaped forks which are much more prone to failure than open, U-shaped ones. Heaving soil at the tree base is an indicator of a potentially unsound root system.

Remember, too, that a tree is a living thing, and its integrity and stability changes over time. Don’t assume that a tree that has survived 10 severe storms will necessarily survive an eleventh.

By following nationally recognized standards for tree pruning, one can successfully reduce the weight and length of individual tree limbs as well as the tree’s resistance to wind movement through the crown.

Cabling and bracing techniques can be used to provide additional structural strength for individual limbs, or even entire trees.