Pre-emptive Pruning: Tree Trimming
as a Damage Reduction Measure

Miami, FL - While trimming the tree to display ornaments during the holiday season is a familiar custom to many Americans, tree trimming as a damage reduction measure can protect property during intense rain, winds or hurricanes.

Replacing damaged trees or property damaged by trees can be very costly. High winds or hurricanes can cause tree limbs to break, which can down power lines, or become wind-borne missiles. Sidewalks and gas or water pipes can be fractured when roots tear through the pavement.

Hurricane Andrew in 1992 downed countless trees in its path. In the Miami Lakes area, however, damage from fallen trees was mild due to the community’s previously established tree trimming program.

In Miami-Dade County, the Parks and Recreation Department provides tree trimming classes twice a year. Topics include: proper spacing of trees to prevent interference with power lines; selecting healthy, indigenous trees compatible with the local climate; and correct methods of pruning to prevent exposure of tree trunks to rain and mold.

Similarly, the Miami-Dade Local Mitigation Strategy Group sponsors the “Hurricane Tree Pruning” class in collaboration with the University of Florida and the Miami-Dade Cooperative Extension Service. Classes are provided twice a year: one targeting tree service professionals and one for homeowners.

A proactive approach to tree trimming by both private and public sectors contribute to minimizing damage from fallen trees or tree limbs. An interested homeowner or business can check with their local parks and recreation department, roads department or call an arborist to learn about tree trimming education or services available in the area.

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