Hurricanes and trees: How to be ready

Packing strong winds and plenty of rain, Hurricane Florence could leave its mark on Charlotte’s trees this week. While our amazing canopy is tough, it still can suffer damage. With just a couple of days before anticipated impact, here’s what you need to know:

• The city is here to help, but only call 911 if it’s a true emergency. Otherwise, call 311.
• Monitor updates from the city of Charlotte at charlottenc.gov
• If a tree falls on your power lines, stay away and call Duke Energy. The lines could still be active, and the trees and its limbs could be energized, too. You can report downed lines at 800.769.3766.
• Report outages to Duke Energy by texting OUT to 57801 (standard text and data charges may apply) or calling the automated outage-reporting system at 800-769-3766.

Once this storm passes and tree companies have a minute to breathe, call a certified arborist to examine your trees and do some pruning to safeguard against falling limbs in future storms. Well-pruned trees are better equipped to deal with high wind.