Florida wind doesn't care
about excuses.
Storm-readiness audit.
Tap each item as you complete it. Your readiness updates live. We'll tell you what to handle yourself, what to call a pro for, and what's urgent.
When to do what.
Hurricane prep isn't a single weekend — it's a year-round calendar. Here's what to do, when, broken down month-by-month for Southwest Florida.
Best window for heavy work
- Schedule large removals — frozen ground is best in northern FL, dry root systems best statewide
- Heavy crown reduction on mature oaks (ANSI A300, no topping)
- Structural cabling for split or weakly-attached limbs
- Stump grinding scheduled (won't affect anything come summer)
- Plant new natives — live oak, sabal palm, gumbo limbo establish best in dry season
Last call for non-emergency work
- Book pro pruning by April 1 — crews fill up by May
- Palm hurricane cuts on royal, queen, coconut — reduces sail effect
- Remove any tree showing crack, lean, fungus, or hollow
- Photograph every tree on the property (dated insurance evidence)
- Walk-through audits — get a professional eye on borderline trees
Monitor + maintain — no new heavy work
- Watch developing tropical systems (NHC updates twice daily)
- Light maintenance trimming only — no heavy crown reduction
- Pre-storm cleanup of obvious debris before each named-storm watch
- Check that the photo inventory is current after summer growth
- Review your insurance coverage before peak season starts
Heightened readiness, emergency-only crews
- No proactive tree work — crews are in emergency-response posture
- Pre-storm walk: tie down anything that could become a projectile
- Identify your shelter spot relative to your trees
- Photograph property again 24-72 hours before any named-storm landfall
- Confirm contact info for tree crew, insurance, and adjuster
Recovery + lessons learned
- Post-storm cleanup phase wraps; assess what survived vs failed
- Document any damaged trees BEFORE removal (for insurance)
- Plan removals for January based on this season's hazards
- Notes for next year: which species held up, which didn't, on your property
- Schedule January work now — January crews book in November
Some Florida trees survive hurricanes. Others don't.
Three tiers, based on University of Florida / IFAS Extension research plus 15+ years of post-storm observation. Click any species for the full profile.
Hurricane-grade — plant these
Native species that evolved with Florida hurricanes. Bend, shed selectively, recover. The trees you want on your property.
Manageable — prune well, plant carefully
Decent hurricane resistance when pruned properly and not over-mature. Watch for structural issues every few years.
High-risk — replace where possible
Weak wood, shallow roots, or unfortunate canopy structure. These are the trees most likely to fail catastrophically in a major storm.
Note: tier placement reflects mature healthy specimens of typical Florida-grown stock. Individual trees can drop a tier if poorly pruned, root-compromised, or stressed by drought, disease, or construction damage. A professional assessment is the only way to know where a specific tree on your property falls.
Pre-storm prep is 3–5× cheaper than post-storm cleanup.
Real Southwest Florida pricing ranges. Pre-storm: a single visit, planned schedule, no insurance complications. Post-storm: crane work, structural protection, insurance documentation, and a queue of other emergencies in line ahead of you.
Planned, scheduled, predictable.
- $200 – $450 — standard pruning, single tree
- $300 – $600 — palm hurricane cut, 30+ ft palm
- $600 – $1,500 — small dead/hazard tree removal
- $1,500 – $3,500 — medium hazard removal, including cleanup
- $3,000 – $6,000 — mature oak removal, no structures involved
- $150 – $400 — per stump grind
Crisis pricing, long queue, insurance complications.
- $800 – $2,500 — cut + clear from driveway / lawn
- $2,500 – $6,000 — tree on detached structure (shed, garage, fence)
- $5,000 – $15,000 — tree on house, crane required
- $8,000 – $25,000+ — multi-tree damage, structural compromise
- + deductible — your insurance kicks in but you pay the first $1,500 – $10,000
- + wait time — 1–6 weeks in line behind life-safety jobs
Why post-storm is so much more: crane mobilization at peak demand, structural protection of the roof/wall during removal, photographic documentation for the adjuster, insurance-coordination time, premium-rate weekend crews, and competitive demand from every other damaged property in the county. None of that applies if the tree comes down on a Tuesday in April.
What adjusters want. Build it now.
Insurance claims after a hurricane go faster, pay more completely, and settle sooner when you have pre-storm documentation. This is what to assemble — once a year, takes a Saturday.
- Photo inventory, datedWalk the property. Photograph every tree from 2–3 angles. Save to dated folder. Repeat each May.
- Receipts for pro pruning + removalsAdjusters take 'maintained' over 'neglected' more seriously when there's paper. Save every estimate and invoice.
- Heritage / protected tree statusIf you have a permitted heritage live oak or mangrove, keep the permit on file. Affects whether removal is covered.
- Property line + neighbor treesPhotograph trees on the property line, especially leaning across. Document any written hazard notices you've sent neighbors.
- Insurance carrier contact infoAdjuster phone, claim hotline, after-hours emergency line. Print and store somewhere not dependent on power or phone reception.
- Coverage limits + deductiblesRe-read your policy each May. Tree-removal limits and hurricane deductibles are often capped — know yours before the call.
- Before-storm video walkaround5-minute phone video, 48 hours before landfall, narrating each tree. Adjusters love timestamped video evidence.
- Neighbor contact listPost-storm coordination on shared trees, fence damage, and access goes smoother with everyone's number already in your phone.
Named storm in the cone? Here's the countdown.
The moment a tropical system enters the Gulf forecast cone for Southwest Florida, the clock starts. Hour-by-hour priorities from advisory to all-clear.
- T−72 hrs out
Last call for emergency removals
If you have a known-hazard tree, this is the FINAL window crews will safely work. After 48 hours out, wind speed + safety rules shut down non-emergency tree work.
- T−48 hrs out
Secure outdoor items
Loose furniture, planters, garden tools, BBQ grills, anything light enough to become a missile in 100+ mph wind. Tie down, store inside, or remove.
- T−24 hrs out
Final yard walk
Photograph every angle of your property. Confirm vehicles are positioned away from large trees. Check that gutters and drains are clear.
- T−12 hrs out
Shelter in place
Last opportunity to relocate to a stronger structure. After this point, do not go outside to inspect or fix anything. Wind speeds reach dangerous levels before the eye approaches.
- TDURING
Do not go outside
Trees go down, branches fly, power lines fall. The eye-of-the-storm calm is deceptive — winds resume from the opposite direction. Stay inside until the all-clear.
- TAFTER
Triage in order: safety, access, cleanup
(1) Is anyone hurt? Call 911. (2) Is the structure safe? Check for compromised roof, downed power lines (assume LIVE), gas leaks. (3) Document EVERYTHING with photos before moving debris. (4) Then call your tree crew + insurance adjuster.
Real questions, real answers.
Should I top my tree before a hurricane to make it safer?
No. Topping (cutting a tree to stubs) is the single worst thing you can do to a tree's storm resistance. Toppped trees produce weak water-sprout regrowth from the cut sites — that regrowth has poor structural attachment and is far more likely to fail in the next storm than the original branch architecture would have been. Topping also opens decay pathways that compromise the tree over years. Proper ANSI A300 crown reduction, done by a real arborist, lowers wind load WITHOUT making the tree weaker.
Are tall palms more dangerous in a hurricane than shorter trees?
Counterintuitively, no — most Florida-native palms are among the most hurricane-resistant trees on the planet. Sabal palms, royal palms, and coconut palms evolved with tropical storms; their flexible trunks bend rather than break, and their fronds shed without taking the tree down. Queen palms (non-native) are weaker. Pruning excess fronds with a 'hurricane cut' before season further reduces sail effect on tall species like royals and coconuts.
Should I remove all dead trees on my property before storm season?
Yes — dead and dying trees are the highest-priority pre-season removals. Live trees flex and shed branches; dead trees shatter and drop intact, often onto structures. Removal costs $600 – $1,500 for a moderate dead tree pre-season. The same tree on your roof post-storm runs $3,000 – $10,000+ once crane work, structural protection, and insurance documentation are factored in. The math is overwhelmingly in favor of pre-season removal.
Can I remove a protected tree (heritage live oak or mangrove) before a hurricane?
Florida heritage live oaks and mangroves are protected under local ordinances and state law (the Mangrove Trimming and Preservation Act). Permits are required for most work, and emergency removal exemptions exist only for trees that pose imminent threat — and even then, photo documentation is required to defend the removal post-storm. Get a permitted assessment from a certified arborist BEFORE the season; emergency permits during a storm watch are not realistic.
My neighbor's tree leans toward my house. What can I do?
In Florida, you can prune branches that cross onto your property (up to the property line, without damaging the rest of the tree). You can't remove your neighbor's tree without their permission. If the tree is dead or dying and threatens your structure, Florida law allows you to notify your neighbor in writing of the hazard; if they fail to act and the tree damages your property, their insurance is typically liable rather than yours. Document the hazard with photos NOW, not after it falls.
Insurance won't pay for proactive tree removal. Should I do it anyway?
Yes, almost always. Homeowner insurance reliably covers post-storm tree-on-structure damage but typically excludes 'wear-and-tear' or 'failure to maintain' — which is how adjusters classify trees that were visibly hazardous before the storm. Removing a known-hazard tree before the storm is cheaper than the deductible on the post-storm claim AND protects your premium from a claim filing. The economics favor proactive removal nearly 100% of the time.
When is the latest I can book pre-season tree work?
Crews book solid as the season approaches. The realistic deadlines: heavy pruning and dangerous removals should be scheduled by April 1; standard pre-season maintenance by May 15; palm hurricane cuts by June 1. Once a named storm is in the Gulf forecast cone, NEW tree work cannot be safely performed — crews go to emergency-only status and aren't taking new bookings.
What's the difference between DIY, PRO, and URGENT items on the audit?
DIY items are visual inspections and documentation you can do this weekend — walk the property, photograph trees, note hazards. PRO items require trained climbers, rigging, or specialty equipment (pre-season pruning, palm hurricane cuts, structural cabling). URGENT items mean removal of a known hazard before the next storm watch — they can't wait until 'someday'. The audit tags each task so you know who handles what.
Want a pro to walk your property?
Send us a few photos — or schedule an on-site walk-through. A trained arborist will give you a written audit of your trees with priorities ranked by risk. Free for Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and Lee county homeowners.