When to prepare your trees, home as a storm brews in the Gulf

DAPHNE, Ala. ( WKRG ) — Storm threats and a busy hurricane season mean an uptick in phone calls to local tree care companies.

A lot of homeowners are asking the same question, “When is it too late to prepare your home and trees for severe weather?”

Many homeowners decide to hire professionals to trim limbs or remove dead trees; however, Chris Francis Tree Care’s Lead Arborist Chris Francis said that when a storm is on the way, it is probably already too late.

Francis said that when the threat of a storm is mentioned, his company’s call volume usually increases by about 50%. If a storm enters the Gulf of Mexico, he said the volume of calls more than doubles.

“The closer the storm comes, the more desperate people become, the more they want to call, and truthfully, it’s too late at that point,” Francis said.

Francis said it’s important to prepare trees before hurricane season starts to prevent storm damage.

“I would say they really need to find a certified arborist, somebody that really knows what they’re doing and consult with them, plan in advance and have somebody figure out what to do with the trees ahead of time,” Francis said.

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