Tree worker in a bucket truck thinning a large live oak over a brick Houston home on a sunny day

Hurricane Tree Prep for Houston Homes

The time to deal with a weak limb over the roof is in the spring, not the day the cone points at Galveston Bay. Here is what to check, what tends to fail in Gulf Coast storms, and what to do when a storm is coming.

Call (346) 680-8916 When a storm is forecast

Hurricane tree prep in Houston is mostly spring work. The trees that come down in a Gulf Coast storm are rarely a surprise afterward: a water oak with a hollow base, a pine leaning over the house, a limb that has been dead for two summers. Dealing with them before June 1 is calmer and easier to schedule than an emergency removal after the fact.

Tree Service Houston TX is a free phone line, not a tree company. It does not inspect or trim trees. If you want a tree looked at, call (346) 680-8916 and you are put through to an independent, locally owned tree service company in your part of the Houston area.

June 1 to Nov 30Atlantic hurricane season, per NOAA
Sept 10Peak of the season on average
Mid-Aug to mid-OctWhen most storm activity happens

Why Houston trees fail in storms

Wind does not pick trees at random. NOAA's peak-season data shows the busiest stretch runs from mid-August to mid-October, but the storms that hurt Houston trees most in recent years came in other shapes too. Hurricane Ike made landfall near Galveston on September 13, 2008, as a large Category 2 storm with 110 mph winds, according to the National Weather Service. Hurricane Beryl came ashore on July 8, 2024, as a Category 1 storm, yet CenterPoint reported about 2.26 million customers without power, with fallen trees and limbs slowing repairs. And the May 16, 2024 derecho was not a hurricane at all.

What these storms have in common is that they find the weak points: decay inside a trunk, roots cut by a driveway or sewer job, a heavy limb growing out over the roof, a pine left standing alone after the trees around it were cleared. Prep is about finding those weak points first.

What tends to hold, and what tends to fail

Researchers who surveyed trees after several hurricanes across the southeastern coastal plain, in a study published in the ISA journal Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, found that live oak, southern magnolia, sweetgum, crape myrtle, wax myrtle, American holly and sabal palm were among the species with the highest survival. Among the oaks, live oak survived far better than water oak, which ranked among the lowest.

Pines vary. A USDA Forest Service study after Hurricane Katrina found loblolly pine had 26 percent mortality where longleaf pine had 7 percent. That does not mean every loblolly will fall, but a tall loblolly within reach of the house deserves a careful look.

Broad live oak with a well-spaced crown shading a brick one-story Houston home

What to check before the season

Walk the yard from the ground in winter or early spring, when you can see the branch structure. Note anything on this list and have a tree company or arborist look at it.

Trunk and roots

A lean that is new or getting worse
Cracks at the base of the trunk, or soil cracking and lifting on one side
Mushrooms, conks or peeling bark that can signal decay inside
Exposed or cut roots from recent construction, a driveway or a sewer repair

Crown and limbs

Dead, cracked or hanging limbs, especially over the roof, driveway or play area
A crown that is heavy on one side or thinning noticeably
Long limbs reaching out over the house
Branches growing into or near the line from the pole to your house

What good prep work looks like

FEMA's advice for hurricane-prone homes is straightforward: trim or remove trees that could fall onto your house, and pick up loose yard debris that wind could throw. In practice, a company doing storm prep should:

Remove dead, broken and hanging limbs first
Shorten or remove limbs that overhang the roof where that can be done without harming the tree
Thin the crown with proper cuts so wind passes through, rather than stripping out the inside
Recommend removal only when a tree is decayed, cracked or leaning toward a target and cannot be made reasonably safe
Leave any branch in contact with a power line to the utility

Be wary of anyone who offers to "top" a tree, cutting the crown back to stubs, to make it storm safe. The tree pruning page explains what proper cuts look like and why topping does harm, and when to trim trees in Houston covers the best months for oaks.

Tall loblolly pines standing close behind a wood fence and the back of a two-story Houston home

Check the company yourself. Texas has no state license for tree trimming or tree removal, so a business card proves very little. Ask the company for a certificate of general liability insurance sent by its insurance agent, proof of workers' compensation coverage, and the ISA certification number of its arborist. A company that sprays or injects trees for hire needs a pesticide license from the Texas Department of Agriculture or its Structural Pest Control Service. You can confirm a certification with the ISA's credential lookup (opens in a new tab).

When a storm is in the forecast

Once a storm is days away, the job changes from fixing trees to keeping things from flying.

Do not start new tree workA half-finished job and fresh cut limbs piled at the curb are exactly the loose debris wind turns into projectiles.
Bring in loose itemsReady.gov advises bringing in outdoor furniture, trash cans, grills, tools and anything else not tied down.
Hold yard wasteHouston Solid Waste suspended garbage, recycling, yard and tree waste collection on July 8, 2024, the day Beryl arrived. Keep bags and branches out of the street until service resumes.
Move carsIf you can, park away from large trees and from under heavy limbs.
Photograph the yardPictures of your trees and house before the storm can help with an insurance claim later.
Save the numbersKeep 911, CenterPoint's line for downed wires (713-207-2222) and your insurer's claim number handy, along with this free line.

After the storm passes

Wait until the wind has dropped and officials say it is safe to go out. Then look for wires before anything else: CenterPoint says to stay at least 35 feet away from a downed line, call 911, and report it. Keep children and pets away from hanging limbs and leaning trees. Photograph damage before anything is moved, and call your insurance company. The emergency tree removal page walks through the first hour in order.

Do not rush a removal decision on a tree that is only stripped of leaves. After the February 2021 freeze, the Texas A&M Forest Service asked Texans to wait until mid-July before cutting down bare trees, because many came back. A tree that is cracked, split or leaning onto a structure is a different matter and needs attention soon.

Keep an eye on pines in the weeks after a storm. Texas A&M Forest Service staff told the Texas Standard after Beryl that storm-stressed pines can attract bark beetles, and to watch for pitch tubes that look like wads of gum on the trunk and needles turning brown, red or orange.

Homeowner seen from behind looking at storm-broken limbs on the lawn of a brick Houston home

For storm debris, the City of Houston runs separate collections after major storms and asks residents to sort what they put at the curb. The tree debris removal page covers the city's rules and when to have the tree company haul it instead.

Have a tree that worries you before the season, or one that came through a storm badly? Call and describe it. The company you are put through to looks at it and quotes before any work starts.

Call (346) 680-8916

Related help

How this line works: Tree Service Houston TX is a free phone line, not a tree service company. It does not trim, remove, quote or schedule tree work and holds no license or arborist certification. Calls are transferred to independent, locally owned tree service companies in the Houston area. Those companies may pay Tree Service Houston TX a referral fee. You never pay the line. How it works.

Common questions

When is hurricane season in Houston?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, according to NOAA. The peak is around September 10, and most activity falls between mid-August and mid-October. Hurricane Ike in 2008 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017 both hit in that late-summer window, while Hurricane Beryl came ashore on July 8, 2024.

Should I trim my trees before hurricane season?

If a tree has dead limbs, broken branches or limbs over the roof, yes, and earlier is better. FEMA advises trimming or removing trees that could fall on your house and picking up yard debris before a storm. Book the work in winter or spring, before companies fill up, and see when to trim trees in Houston for timing that suits oaks.

What trees hold up best in a hurricane?

In a study of trees after several hurricanes on the southeastern coastal plain, published in the ISA journal Arboriculture and Urban Forestry, live oak, southern magnolia, sweetgum, crape myrtle, wax myrtle, American holly and sabal palm were among those with the highest survival. Water oak was among the oaks with the lowest. A sound, well-pruned tree of any kind does better than a decayed one.

Is it too late to trim trees when a hurricane is coming?

In the last few days before a storm, usually yes. Cut limbs left at the curb can become projectiles in high winds, and the City of Houston suspended yard and tree waste collection on the day Hurricane Beryl arrived. Spend those days securing loose items instead, and call about any tree that worries you after the storm passes.

Who checks a tree to see if it is safe before a storm?

An ISA certified arborist is trained to judge a tree's structure and risk. Texas does not license arborists or tree companies, so ask for the arborist's ISA certification number and check it in the ISA's online directory. An arborist assessment explains what that visit covers.

Want a tree checked before the next storm?

Call the free line any hour and describe the tree, what it hangs over and what worries you. You are put through to an independent, locally owned tree service company that looks at it and quotes its own price.