Hazard Trees & Limbs On Property

With the full-time arrival of winter, the risk of hazardous trees and limbs is more prominent and poses significant threats to homeowners and their properties. The combination of heavy snow, ice, and wind can further weaken current tree structures, causing limbs to break or entire trees to fall unexpectedly. For homeowners, it’s crucial to assess and address these risks to prevent potential damage to homes, vehicles, or outdoor structures—and, most importantly, to protect the safety of their families. Proactively identifying and managing hazard trees now can help mitigate these dangers before they escalate, ensuring peace of mind during the colder months.

So to keep your family and your property safe, we ask that you keep the following safety tips in mind:

• Be aware of your surroundings as trees can fall without warning. Be particularly watchful when it’s windy or following a snowstorm when branches are covered with snow. Try to void parking in areas where trees could fall.
• Clear out dense patches of dead trees. Limbs and damaged trees may fall at any time. Trees without needles, bark or limbs may indicate structural defects. Trees with conks, broken tops, basal scars, numerous downed limbs, ants, or an abundance of woodpecker holes may have internal rot.
• Beware of hazardous trees due to ice storms or insect damage. Ice storms can inflict serious damage to trees, uprooting or breaking off large limbs. Cracks can develop in large branches which, although they are damaged, do not fall from the tree. These branches can present a hazard to people or property long after the ice has melted in May.
• Look up while out on trails, especially when it’s windy. Try to stay away from forested hikes when there are strong winds that could blow down trees. If you are already in the forest when winds kick up, please head to a clearing out of reach of any potential falling trees.
• Park in your garage or under a strong covering to avoid waking up to a damaged vehicle