Severe Weather and How it Affects Your Trees and Landscape


“April showers bring May flowers.”
And as the saying goes, it’s already been a wild April full of severe storms and crazy weather. That’s Nashville for you. And since it’s that time of year, all kinds of severe weather can play a part in damaging your trees and landscape.

We are always telling clients to be mindful of their trees and landscape for any possible damage during severe weather and what needs to happen when a storm approaches, especially this time of year. Yes, trees and landscape are resilient, but tree care and other preventive measures should always be taken to avoid it, along with avoiding a major headache and unnecessary cost.

However, Mother Nature doesn’t usually give us a damage report until after she’s blown through Music City. So the best thing you can do for your trees and landscape is be prepared when storms come.

Below are three different types of severe weather Nashville can experience this season and some measures for each instance:

How Severe Weather Impacts Landscape

Lightning

Trees that are isolated or located on high terrain are even more susceptible to strikes. While we recommend protecting all trees, older and historic trees should have priority. Install protective devices for these more susceptible trees to keep lightning away and decrease the likelihood of damage. This is especially important if trees are near your home or business. Just remember, the lightning devices are complicated and should not be installed without the help of one of Parke’s certified arborists.

Tornado

If your tree is not strong enough, it may not hold up to strong winds, let alone a tornado. Have our arborists come out and check the stability of the tree in question. If you have your landscape already cultivated and ready for the season, take precautions for this as well. Bring in potted plants or other plants that can be easily transplanted. When the storm is over, clean up and assess the damage. If strong winds or a tornado did enough damage, it might be best to call our team at Parke. They’ll be able to address all your issues quickly and efficiently.

Flash flood

Floods, especially in Nashville, are nothing to joke about. We learned that during the Nashville flood in 2010. Similar to the tornados and lightning, try to be as prepared as possible in the case of flooding. Bring in potted plants or other vulnerable plants that might not make it through the storm. Contact Parke for your irrigation systems as well.

Mother Nature can be fickle. If any of these scary and unpredictable weather issues come through without much warning, do the best you can. After the storms are over, the Parke Company can come out and assess any damage and how to treat it. This might include a tree struck by lightning, a damaged irrigation system or flooded landscape and flower beds. If the damage is an emergency, you can contact our emergency team for immediate assistance. The arborist’s emergency services include downed trees over power lines, roadways or homes.

Whether it’s preemptive, an emergency service or damage repair, our arborists at the Parke Company are readily available to discuss tree care options. Need landscape or lawn services? The Parke Company is available for that too! Call today.