How to Prepare Your Trees for Storm Season in the Tri-Cities

Every winter, Pacific storms roll through the Tri-Cities and bring down trees and large limbs. Port Moody's inlet-facing slopes, the tall second-growth firs on Burke Mountain and Westwood Plateau, and saturated soil after weeks of rain all add up to higher risk. A little preparation in the dry months goes a long way.

Why Tri-Cities trees fail in storms

Three things combine: strong gusts funneling off the inlet and over ridgelines; tall, top-heavy conifers that catch a lot of wind; and rain-saturated soil that loosens root plates. A tree that stood for decades can go over when wet soil and a big gust line up.

Inspect before the season

Walk your property and look for:

• Dead branches and deadwood in the upper canopy.
• A new or worsening lean, or soil heaving/cracking on one side of the trunk.
• Cracks, cavities, or fungus on the trunk and major limbs.
• Two trunks joined in a tight V ("codominant stems") — a common failure point.
• Branches resting on the roof or tangled near power lines.

Reduce the "sail"

Selective crown thinning lets wind pass through the canopy instead of pushing against it, and removing deadwood takes out the limbs most likely to break first. Done properly and in the dormant season, this lowers risk without harming the tree.

What not to do

Don't "top" a tree to make it shorter. Topping creates weak regrowth that is more likely to fail in the next storm, not less — and it's flagged as a harmful activity under Port Moody's bylaw. Reduction and thinning by a qualified crew is the right approach.

Have a plan before the wind

Know who you'll call if a tree comes down. Save a number for 24/7 emergency tree service so you're not searching during a storm. If a tree is already leaning toward your house or a limb is hung up, deal with it before the season rather than hoping it holds.

After a storm

If a tree is on a structure, tangled in a power line, or partially uprooted, keep your distance and call us — see emergency tree service in Port Moody. For a pre-season assessment, request a free estimate.