As storm seasons come and go, we continue to experience severe weather across our land. Strong wind speeds, rain, and storm surges add up to more potential destruction for everyone affected, including their livelihoods and properties.
However, storms are natural disasters, so we can’t stop how much damage they do, like taking down trees and power lines or causing weak parts of homes, businesses, or other buildings to fall. Our best response is to become more knowledgeable and resourceful in handling storm aftereffects, such as removing fallen trees.
So, how do you deal with tree damage from a storm? Let’s all find that out in this article!
Determine the Area of Responsibility
You see trees along streets, parks, and public areas if you live in the city or suburbs. In most cases, those trees are maintained by the city or, in some cases, by counties or states. Contact your local officials to arrange to remove a tree from one of those areas if it falls on your property.
To determine whether a tree is on your property, public property, or a neighbor’s property, consult your title survey or plat map. If the tree is unquestionably yours, you must either remove it yourself or consider hiring a tree removal service in your local area to do the tree removal for you.
Safety First
After a storm, fallen trees can be a common sight. So before taking any action, make sure you observe these precautions when doing storm damage tree cleanup to ensure your safety:
1. Wear a PPE (Personal Protective Equipment); gloves, goggles, helmets, hearing protection, and the right shoes are essential safety precautions.
2. Be alert for fallen power wires and potentially hazardous hanging branches.
3. Avoid touching fallen or broken electrical lines, low-voltage telephone or cable lines, or even fence wires since they may become electrically charged.
4. Don’t go under broken branches hanging or entangled in other branches above you.
5. Assess the area to determine which method or approach is most appropriate.
If large limbs are broken or hanging, or if high climbing or overhead chainsaw work is required, you should call a professional land clearing service company unless you know how to use one. Use power equipment safely if you decide to do it yourself. Your safety must be your top priority in the storm’s fallen tree cleanup.
Cutting the Damaged Tree from Storm
Whether cutting a fallen tree with a chainsaw, you’ll perform two basic operations: limbing and bucking. Limbing is the removal of branches from living or dead trees, while bucking is the process of chopping downed trees into manageable lengths.
Removal of the Limbs or Branches (Limbing)
Once the area has been secured, you can begin removing fallen trees. For a clear area to cut on, remove the limbs first rather than cutting the trunk directly, giving you a smooth finish. If possible, cut the limbs flush with the log’s trunk, as doing this makes the log much easier to roll or move. In situations where flush cuts are not possible, remove the branch stubs later if possible.
Remember that every time you remove a limb, the weight of the tree changes, as well as its position, so you must expect movement. You must carefully plan how and when to remove the limbs and where to position yourself safely.
Cutting The Trunk (Bucking)
It is called bucking to cut a tree into manageable lengths. After removing all limbs and branches, cut the trunk into manageable logs. If you think you can use it another way, you can cut it to the desired size.
Be Resourceful
After the trunk is completed, the log files are yours to do as you please. But if you do not know what else to do with them, here are some possible uses:
- Firewood. You won’t have to buy firewood for a while if you have a fireplace or a fire pit. You can always sell or donate if you don’t need it.
- Landscaping. Large sections of the trunk can be used to make an outdoor bench or stool. Tree stumps can also serve as a stable table base or planter.
- Lumber. Some trees are in high demand for construction. Suppose it was in good condition before it fell. In that case, you could use or sell it to make furniture or other woodworking projects, especially if it was a mature walnut, cherry, redwood, or another furniture-grade wood tree.
Need help with fallen tree removal in the South Shore, MA area?
Property owners are responsible for continuously checking their trees, not only after storms but even before the disaster hits. However, if storms have knocked down your trees, you must remove them to prevent more accidents in the future. Contact Green Tech Tree Care Services, Inc. at (781) 767-3888 today for a free instant quote for your tree removal project in the South Shore, MA area. We’ll help your clear your property in no time!
