What To Do When A Seattle Winter Storm Has Damaged Your Tree | Sound Tree Care

How To Help Your Storm-Damaged Trees

1.     Brace and support any cracked branches. 

If cracked branches are within reach, you can place support underneath them to hold them up and prevent them from breaking off completely. 

2.     Cut off any severely broken branches just above a growth nodule or just above the collar. 

If your young tree has lifted out of the soil, replant it, add more soil, and create a triangular support system around it. 

Read our article on bracing young trees for detailed instructions. 

3.    Clear the area and stanchion it off if your large trees are leaning or have fallen. 

If you have trees that are leaning severely or have fallen, clear the area around them of any vehicles, structures, and rope or tape of the area around them. Keep any pets inside or tied up far away from the tree. 

4.  Don’t get out the chainsaw and chop down your tree unless it’s already fallen to the ground.

Call a tree care company immediately if your tree has hit your home or another structure. They have the skills and equipment to safely remove your fallen tree and clear it quickly so you can make any necessary repairs. 

While it can be tempting to run out during a Seattle winter storm to save your trees, DON’T. 

Wait until the storm has passed to assess and make emergency repairs to your damaged trees. 

Sound Tree Care offers emergency tree services in the SeaTac and Seattle, Washington area We have extensive experience helping homeowners after a Seattle winter storm has damaged or destroyed their trees. As a city-approved tree service provider, you can rest assured that we will do whatever we can to save your trees and safely remove them if necessary. 

How Can I Prepare Trees For A Seattle Winter Storm?

While we can’t always save our trees after a storm, there are some things we can do to protect young trees and shrubs from the wind, snow, and freezing rain to give them a fighting chance. 

Although we can’t prevent a storm, we can prepare for one. You can find valuable tips in a 2019 Seattle Times article on preparing your trees for a winter storm and watching the weather, so you have time to make those preparations before the severe weather strikes.