Storm-Damaged Trees: What to Do After the Weather Clears
After a big south-easter or a winter storm rolls through Wilderness, George, Knysna or Sedgefield, the first thing people notice is a mess of broken branches and leaning trees. The second thing they do — far too often — is grab a chainsaw and start cutting. That is where accidents happen. Here is the sensible order of operations.
1. Check for danger before you touch anything
- Look up. Hanging branches can drop without warning, especially after rain has soaked the wood.
- Look down. Fallen trees can hide power lines. If any part of a tree is touching a line, stay back and phone the municipality. Do not go near it.
- Check lean. A tree that is cracked or lifted out of the soil can still fall. Do not stand on the downhill side.
2. Decide: save it or remove it?
A tree with a few torn branches usually recovers. A tree with a split trunk, a major crack, or roots lifted out of the ground is a hazard and normally has to come down. If you are not sure, get someone experienced to look at it before you spend money on either option. If clearing work will change the land more broadly — removing trees to open a plot, for example — it is smart to have the property surveyed first. See capevegsurveys.com for that step.
3. Get it done safely
Small branches you can handle with hand tools. Anything bigger — a tree leaning over a roof, a trunk under tension, a stump to be removed — is tree felling work for people with the right gear and insurance. We handle storm clean-up, tree felling, stump removal and full plot clearing across the Garden Route. Send a photo on WhatsApp and we will quote you, usually the same day.
4. Do not waste the wood
Cleared trees and branches do not have to go to the dump. Cut, split and seasoned, most of it becomes excellent braai wood. We often leave usable logs with the client or recycle them into braai wood rather than sending good hardwood to landfill. It saves you money and it keeps the tip site a bit smaller.
5. Fire safety after the clean-up
Storm debris dries out fast in our summers. Stack cut wood away from the house, clear dead branches from around outbuildings, and keep a firebreak in mind if you are on a plot. Land prep and debris clearing after a storm is also a good time to sort out access tracks and firebreaks before the hot months arrive.
Storm damage is stressful, but it is manageable if you work in the right order: safety first, assessment second, cutting third, and a plan for the wood at the end. Need a hand? WhatsApp us a photo of the damage and we will take it from there.