Hurricane season yard prep checklist for Central Florida homes

Hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and NOAA puts its peak around September 10, with most activity from mid-August to mid-October. The yard work that protects a Central Florida home happens before that: trees pruned correctly, dead palm fronds and pods off, and loose items put away. This checklist covers what to do early, what to do when a storm is coming, and what to do after.

What should I do before the season starts?

Spring is the time for the jobs that need a crew and a few weeks of lead time.

• Have trees pruned correctly. UF/IFAS calls correct pruning the most important thing you can do to help trees survive hurricanes: thin the outer canopy, remove dead branches and shorten long, heavy limbs. Do not top the tree; topping leaves weak regrowth that breaks more easily.
• Get large trees looked at early. UF/IFAS recommends an ISA-certified arborist for trees taller than about 15 feet, before the season, not the week a storm is forecast.
• Trim palms the right way. Dead fronds, seed pods and fruit stalks come off; green fronds stay. A “hurricane cut” makes palms more likely to lose their crowns. Our palm trimming guide explains why.
• Look at what hangs over the roof, the pool cage and the driveway. Those limbs are the ones that turn a storm into a repair bill.
• Check the sprinklers and the rain sensor. Florida law requires automatic irrigation systems to have working rain-shutoff technology. A working sensor stops the system from watering a lawn that is already flooded.

What should I do in the peak months?

From August into October, keep the yard in a state where a forecast does not turn into a rush.

• Keep the lawn on its weekly rhythm so a missed week of storms does not leave it overgrown.
• Clear fallen fronds, pods and limbs as they drop instead of letting them pile up.
• Keep clippings and yard waste out of the street and storm drains; Osceola’s ordinance says so, and blocked drains flood streets faster.

What should I do when a storm is forecast?

Once a watch is issued, it is too late for most tree work. Focus on what you can do yourself.

• Bring in patio furniture, planters, toys, grills and anything else that can fly.
• Hold the fertilizer. Osceola County prohibits fertilizing during tropical storm and hurricane watches and warnings. Polk prohibits it during severe weather or when more than 2 inches of rain is likely within 24 hours, and Lake County when heavy rain is forecast within 24 hours. Fertilizer applied before a downpour washes into lakes and drains instead of feeding the lawn. The fertilizer rules by county post has the details.
• Turn the irrigation controller off if the storm is going to bring days of rain.
• Follow your county’s instructions on when to put yard debris at the curb. Piles left out early can blow around.

What should I do after the storm?

• Stay away from downed power lines. If a tree or limb is touching a line, call the utility first and keep everyone back.
• Photograph damage before anything is moved; your insurer may ask for it.
• Do not climb into a damaged tree or start cutting a hung limb yourself. Split trunks and limbs under tension can move without warning.
• Clear the driveway and walkways first so the house is usable, then the beds and the lawn.
• Turn the irrigation back on only after the ground has dried out, and check for heads broken by falling limbs.

Which yard jobs can a crew do for me?

Before the season: tree trimming, palm trimming and a yard cleanup that removes dead wood and loose debris. After a storm, if a tree is on the house or across the driveway, call (407) 577-6400; limbs and smaller debris are a cleanup, and a tree that is split or leaning may need tree removal. If you own a vacation rental or live out of state, see how we handle storm season for rental owners.

The best time to book the pre-season work is spring. Request a quote and tell us what is over the roof.