Hurricane Season · June 1 – November 30Hurricane & Tropical Storm Cleanup
Before & After the Storm
A hurricane or tropical storm passes in a day. The cleanup takes weeks: downed trees, damaged palms, debris across roads and entries. What is done before the season, and in the first weeks after, decides what can be saved.
What prepares a landscape for wind
A hurricane cut makes a palm weaker, not safer
Stripping a palm does nothing to improve its wind resistance. Hurricane-cut palms are less able to withstand strong winds, and in Florida storms they were more likely to have their crowns snapped off. Only fully brown fronds come off; live green fronds stay.
Structural problems are found before the wind finds them
Decayed trunks, codominant stems, cracked branches and dense canopies make a tree more likely to fail. Trees over about 15 feet should be pruned by a certified arborist before hurricane season, and large trees checked for defects that cannot be seen from the ground.
What decides how a property recovers
The first crew at the gate is not always the right one
After a major storm, out-of-area operators arrive quickly. Unqualified workers can cause irreparable damage to trees and may take advantage of the situation. Uninsured workers can leave the property owner liable for injuries on site.
What is done in the first weeks decides what can be saved
Recently planted trees can be re-stood and staked at any size, and they need watering about three times a week for several months afterward. Green fronds on damaged palms should stay on the palm, and it can take six months or more before recovery is clear. Rushed removals cost more than patience does.
How the cleanup is sequenced
Roadways, driveways, vehicles and entrances.
Fallen debris cleared; approved trees and palms cut down to removable size.
Salvageable shrubs, palms and hardwoods re-staked or re-planted.
Removal of damaged or fallen trees and palms, with stumps.
Holes left by removals filled.
Branches and limbs longer than twelve feet.
- Local crews assess member properties as soon as roads are safe to travel
- Members on the storm priority list are served first in every phase of cleanup
- Photographs and load tickets provided to support insurance documentation
- Routine maintenance resumes as the response allows, with schedules adjusted during recovery
Members receive the full Storm Readiness Brief before each hurricane season. See what members receive →
Resources: National Hurricane Center, Atlantic hurricane season June 1 – November 30 · UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions, Pruning Palms and Preparing Trees for Hurricanes · UF/IFAS EDIS FOR116/FR171 Cleaning Up after a Hurricane · ENH1054/EP300 Restoring Trees After a Hurricane · ENH1204/EP465 Hurricane-Damaged Palms in the Landscape.
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