How to Prepare Your Trees for Wichita Storms

What helps trees before a storm?

The most useful preparation is to identify existing problems, arrange appropriate pruning, and keep people and movable property out of areas of concern. No pruning method can make a tree stormproof. A useful plan explains which tree or branch needs attention, why the work is recommended, and what limitations remain afterward.

For a Wichita homeowner, that means starting before a weather alert puts everyone in a hurry. Walk through your tree concerns with a professional while there is time to compare options. A large tree that worries you may need a closer assessment rather than removal; a smaller tree may still need prompt attention if it has a serious defect over an occupied area.

Make a simple tree and property checklist

Observe trees from a safe place on the ground. Note broken or hanging branches, visible trunk splits, changes in the tree’s position, and damage you have noticed since the last storm. Record the location rather than walking under a suspicious limb for a better photograph. These observations are reasons to request an assessment, not a diagnosis of whether the tree will fall.

ISA includes the things a tree could strike in a risk assessment. Note entrances, seating, parking, and play areas; discuss alternate use while a concern is evaluated. Only move items if doing so avoids the hazardous area. ISA tree-risk guidance.

• Identify each tree by its location, such as the maple beside the back gate.
• List the branch or change that concerns you and when you first noticed it.
• Describe what is beneath or beside that part of the tree.
• Mention past storm damage, major pruning, or nearby digging.
• Keep old photographs if they help show a change over time.

Ask for pruning with a clear purpose

Before the visit, list the outcomes you want to discuss: a particular roof contact, a branch you noticed after earlier damage, or uncertainty about a young tree beside a path. Keep observations separate from decisions about which branches to cut. Ask the estimator to attach the proposed work to the numbered tree on your sketch.

Use the proposal to record three things: the issue being addressed, the work authorized, and the condition that should trigger another review. If two trees receive different recommendations, ask for an explanation rather than requesting an identical treatment. Keep routine work separate from a newly urgent concern. The guides to pruning timing and pruning versus topping cover those decisions in more detail.

Avoid topping and excessive thinning

Topping is not dependable storm preparation. Ask whether the proposal addresses particular defects or simply shortens every branch, and what follow-up it would require. ISA explains why topping is harmful.

Be cautious about proposals to strip interior branches so that most foliage remains at the ends. K-State calls this practice lion tailing and identifies it as improper pruning. Ask how a proposed treatment will preserve useful structure, rather than accepting the claim that taking out more branches always provides more protection. K-State’s lion tailing publication explains the concern.

If the tree is unsuitable for its location or cannot be managed acceptably, discuss removal and a better replacement location. Compare that option with a defined pruning plan. The decision should concern the particular tree and property, not a blanket rule to remove all large trees.

Include the ground around the tree

Tell the assessor when and where nearby digging, construction traffic, grading, or added soil occurred. ISA identifies root injury and changed soil conditions as concerns; a record of those projects can help the assessment.

Use the visit to agree on practical follow-up: what to watch, whether another inspection is needed, and which upcoming landscape projects should be discussed first. Keep the advice with your property records. A written note that identifies the tree and the recommended next step is more useful later than a general recollection that the yard was checked.

Plan for power lines before scheduling tree work

A branch near a power line changes who needs to be involved. Evergy tells customers not to cut, trim or climb trees near power lines and to contact its tree trimming team. Do not plan to move a line, lift a branch off it, or work around it with a ladder or pole tool. Evergy’s outdoor safety guidance provides the utility’s instructions.

Tell the tree company about overhead lines when arranging the visit, and contact the utility for the electrical safety assessment. Keep routine tree work and utility clearance coordination distinct in the work order. If a line is down or a tree is touching it, stop treating the situation as preventive maintenance and follow emergency guidance.

Know what changes after the storm

After severe weather, keep clear of hanging limbs, split trees and suspected electrical hazards. K-State’s storm damage guidance notes that major trunk or structural damage can make a tree unsuitable to retain. New leaves alone do not resolve a structural problem. A damaged tree needs a fresh assessment rather than reliance on its condition before the storm. K-State’s storm-damage guidance explains why some trees cannot be retained.

Some nonurgent decisions can wait until immediate hazards are controlled. Butler County K-State Extension separates urgent safety work from general pruning and recommends continued observation of damaged trees. Avoid authorizing additional cutting solely because cleanup equipment is already present. Ask what is necessary now and what can be evaluated afterward. Butler County Extension’s guidance discusses those priorities.

Arrange a Wichita tree review before the next urgent call

Wichita Tree Experts can discuss tree trimming, removal and storm-related work for your property. Use the contact page with the tree’s location, your concern, and any access or utility issues. Request a scope that identifies the work, debris handling and any follow-up decisions. For an electrical emergency, contact emergency services and the utility first.