TFTC #47 Tree Care Companies: Prepare for Storm Season with Preventative Maintenance
Sherrilltree Jun 9th 2025Storm season is unpredictable—but your response doesn’t have to be.
For tree care professionals, early action is the key to protecting property, reducing liability, and keeping communities safe. While storm cleanup often gets the spotlight, it’s the preventative maintenance done before the storm that minimizes risk and maximizes resilience.
Here’s how you can take the lead in storm preparation, strengthen customer trust, and position your crew for safe, effective response.
1. Conduct Tree Risk Assessments Early
Storms exploit weaknesses. The best way to prevent damage is by identifying those weaknesses in advance.
• Inspect Structural Integrity: Look for signs of decay, cracks, codominant stems, and weak unions.
• Focus on Critical Zones: Prioritize trees near homes, roads, utility lines, schools, and hospitals.
• Leverage Diagnostic Tools: Use resistograph drills, aerial inspections, and load tests when necessary.
Offer preseason tree risk audits as a paid or value-added service to municipal and commercial clients.
2. Prune for Wind Resistance and Clearance
Strategic and preventative pruning is a powerful tool in storm mitigation.
• Reduce Wind Load: Thinning the crown reduces the “sail effect,” making trees less likely to uproot.
• Remove Deadwood: Broken branches become dangerous debris in high winds.
• Raise Canopies: Create clearance over driveways, sidewalks, and structures.
Pro tip: Every species responds differently to pruning—maples and oaks may require specific techniques to prevent stress.
3. Install Cabling and Bracing Where Needed
Some trees are too valuable to lose—even if they’re structurally compromised.
• Add Support Systems: Use static or dynamic cabling to stabilize split trunks and heavy limbs.
• Inspect Existing Systems: Check cables and bolts for rust, tension, and integrity before storm season.
4. Strengthen the Root Zone
Roots are a tree’s anchor—and they’re critical in storm resilience.
• Decompact Soil: Use air excavation tools to reduce compaction and encourage deeper rooting.
• Apply Mulch & Amendments: Boost soil health and moisture retention, especially in urban areas.
• Correct Girdling Roots: Remove or redirect roots that threaten long-term stability.
This may sound like the basics, but this isn’t just tree care—it’s risk management.
5. Remove High-Risk Trees Proactively
Sometimes, the best prevention is removal.
- Remove Trees Beyond Recovery: Severe decay, uprooting, and lean toward structures warrant preemptive action.
- Document Everything: Take photos and notes—your customers may need them for insurance claims.
A single tree failure can cause tens of thousands in property damage. Prevention saves more than cleanup.
6. Stock Up on Essential Storm-Readiness Supplies
When the storm hits, supply chains tighten and access to the impacted area can be difficult. Don’t get caught scrambling.
Pro tree crews know the value of having the right tools on hand before the winds pick up. Here’s what you should have stocked and staged:
Cleanup & Response Gear
Safety & Rescue Equipment
- First Aid Kits
- Mechanical advantage systems
- Bucket evacuation kits
Transport Tools
- Gear Bags for Emergency Loadouts
- Two-Way Radios, Flashlights & Batteries
Pro tip: Keep emergency kits pre-packed in your trucks—label them “Storm Loadout” and include fuel, saws, ropes, PPE, and hydration.
7. Prepare Your Crew for Storm Conditions
- Conduct Hands-On Training: Cover aerial rescue, night ops, and electrical hazards.
- Inspect Gear: Check expiration dates, harness wear, fuel levels, and rope conditions.
- Test Communications & SOPs: Review emergency contacts and response sequences.
A ready crew is a safe crew. And when you respond first, you win business and goodwill.
8. Engage Your Clients Early
Don’t wait for them to call after the storm. Be the expert they trust beforehand.
- Offer Storm-Prep Packages: Bundle inspections, pruning, and cabling services.
- Create a Preferred Response List: Reward clients who act early with priority service.
- Share Resources: Email checklists, storm guides, and post-storm tree care tips.
Storm-season engagement builds customer loyalty and brand credibility.
Final Thought: Be the First Call, Not the Last Resort
Preventative maintenance and early stocking are how tree pros lead—not react—during storm season. When you show up prepared, your reputation grows with every limb you safely clear.
Need help gearing up?
Explore Sherrilltree's full lineup of storm response gear Or contact your VSG rep to build your custom supply and equipment bundle today.