Hurricane Irma left a lasting impact on cities across north Georgia. If you walked out into your yard after the storm and thought “What a mess!”, you’re likely in good company. As power restoration begins and the rain subsides, now is a great time to start the cleanup process. With a few simple steps, you can have your yard and landscaping back in good order.
Report downed trees or powerlines. After major storms, it’s not unlikely to see a tree across the road or branches weighing down a powerline. In these scenarios, never attempt to remove the tree or touch the powerlines. Always report downed trees or damaged powerlines to your city or county officials. Keep in mind that loose powerlines can still have active current in them.
Assess your trees. Walk through your yard and take note of what impact the storm had on your trees. Are there any downed trees or branches that took a hard hit? Inspect the trunks and branches to see if there are spit tree trunks, broken branches or any damage that might be a safety concern. If you have small, low-hanging branches that are dangling, some simple trimming tools will often do the trick.
Prune plants with leaves. If you have flowering plants or vegetables that are missing some of their leaves, don’t fret. Gently remove any damaged leaves from the plant. It’s best not to remove more than a third of leaves at one time. If a plant was uprooted, but the stem is in good condition, you can even try re-planting it. If a stem is broken, the plant’s chances for recovery are small, so we recommend removing it and replacing it with a new plant.
Identify standing water in your yard. The silver lining to heavy rainfall is that you can quickly identify where water runoff is causing a problem in your yard. Puddles of standing water are a symptom of water collecting too quickly or not draining appropriately. Take note of where you see any water pooling up and consider planting some shrubs or other plants that love water to help absorb excess water. You can also redirect the runoff water by adding some landscaping or filling in holes or other depressions that are more prone to collecting water.
For jobs that are out of scope for a DIY project, or if you need a second opinion on how to best handle clean-up, please contact us for a free, no obligation quote. We gladly handle insurance claims and are happy to provide a professional recommendation.