5 Tips to Prepare Your Commercial Landscape for Storms

While storms are an inevitable force of nature, Florida is especially susceptible to damage. Whether it’s a rainstorm or a full-fledged hurricane, wind and rain can have devastating effects to your property. 

When storms occur, lawns are flooded, plants and trees are uprooted or damaged, and debris and excess water act become active hazards and can cause long-term damage. To keep your property and your residents safe, it’s imperative to be prepared and to prepare correctly, or else you, your property, and your residents could be at risk.

While a landscape professional or certified arborist can always provide storm preparing services for you, here’s five simple steps anyone can take to protect against storm damage. 

• Trim, Prune, and Clear 

Your landscape is constantly exposed to wear and tear, but this damage can turn catastrophic when paired with storm force conditions.  Broken, damaged, or dead branches and plant matter can be swept up by the wind and become flying hazards, threatening property and people. While broken tree limbs are easy to identify, it can be harder to identify diseased or dying limbs as the symptoms may be internal. We covered how to identify Tree Failure here, but if you aren’t confident doing it alone, contact a Certified Arborist for help.

• Check Storm Drains

Most communities have storm drains scattered throughout, but we tend not to pay too much attention to them. It’s important to know where these drains are and to regularly inspect them to make sure they are clear of trash or debris. If storm drains are clogged, rainwater collects and pours into the street, turning the drain's original purpose against you. Floodwaters not only damage foundations and limit movement but can house dangerous bacteria and sewage from inside the drains. 

• Change Your Irrigation Schedule

While modern technology includes cloud based and Wi-Fi integrated irrigation systems, not all communities have up to date irrigation systems. Not only is it important to know what your irrigation capabilities are, but to know the current settings and schedule.

• Have An Emergency Prep Plan

In 2019, 73.9 million people lived in homeowners or community associations, 9 million of which are in Florida. That means that for community managers and board members, there can be thousands of residents to consider in an emergency. Expecting all these people to know what to do, where to go, and who is going to help them, is essential to saving lives and preventing chaos during a disaster.  

You can download a supply checklist and evacuation maps for every Florida county here, but we’ll cover the basics. 

• Comprehensive Maps of Your Community and Surrounding Areas
• Emergency Contact Numbers 
• Pre-planned Evacuation Routes
• Keep Everyone on The Same Page
• Stay in Touch with Local Officials

• Don’t Wait

We know being a community manager, property manager, or even a board member is a daunting and time-consuming task. Starting each year with a Disaster Plan in place can help alleviate the stress of entering Hurricane Season. It can be even more stressful to wait until there is a named hurricane as supplies fly off the shelves and residents panic and look to you for guidance. Have a plan in place and have it ready before the storms come! 

If you want to have a professional evaluate your HOA communities storm readiness, Down To Earth Landscape & Irrigation employs the industry’s leading experts. Whether you need a Certified Arborist or a Trained Irrigation Specialist, DTELandscape is available for your commercial landscape. Whether it’s large-scale commercial, residential, or resort services, we deliver unparalleled service and unmatched quality from design and installation to ongoing maintenance.