Storm Recovery and Clean-up
Be familiar with this information before a storm strikes. Storms can cause power outages and you may not have ready access following a storm. Additional information about recovering from storms, like Who Can Help?; Assessing the Damage; and Safety Considerations, can be found on our Recovering From Storms & Wildfires page.
Whether it takes the form of ice, snow, or wind, a storm can have a significant negative impact on trees. After the storm hits, assessing the damage it has caused to your trees is a critical first step. Even though a tree has lost limbs or its bark is damaged, it has a very good chance for surviving and recovering over time. If you are concerned about the risk status of your tree, it is important to have a qualified arborist who is trained in hazard tree assessment take a look at the tree before having it removed.
The North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS) encourages the use of:
- International Society of Arboriculture(ISA) certified arborists
- American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA)
- arborists and companies accredited by the Tree Care Industry Association (TCIA)
Pay attention to local guidelines for clean-up efforts. These guidelines may include important information for pick-up of your storm debris and may include instructions such as:
- Keep roadways clear for emergency vehicle traffic
- Types of acceptable debris
- Where to place debris
- Size of debris (diameter and length) that will be picked up
- Whether or not to bundle debris
- Days or times that debris will be collected
- Other instructions your municipality issues
Do not top your trees nor allow anyone else to top your trees. As pointed out in this brochure from ISA, topping will NOT make your trees safer. To help you determine which trees should remain and which trees should be removed, consider this information from the Arbor Day Foundation.
Additionally, although written with a focus on hurricanes, basic safety information and tree assessment information applicable to any storm recovery effort is covered in a series of informational brochures available from the University of Florida.