How to Prepare Your Trees for Storm Season in NSW

The best way to prepare your trees for storm season in NSW is to have them professionally assessed and pruned before the severe weather arrives. Structural pruning, deadwood removal, and canopy weight reduction are the three most effective measures to prevent storm-related tree failure. Storm season on the Central Coast typically runs from October through to March, bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall, and the occasional east coast low that can cause catastrophic damage to unprepared trees.

I am Daymian McGovern, an AQF Level 3 Certified Arborist with over 13 years of experience. Every storm season, I respond to emergency callouts across the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, and Newcastle for trees that have dropped limbs on houses, blocked roads, or fallen entirely. The majority of these failures could have been prevented with proactive care. Here is your pre-storm checklist.

1. Book a Professional Tree Assessment

Before you do anything else, have a qualified arborist walk your property and assess every significant tree. We are looking for:

- Structural defects: Co-dominant stems (twin trunks), included bark unions, and weak branch attachments that are likely to fail under load
- Dead or dying branches: These are the first to come down in a storm and they fall without warning
- Excessive canopy weight: Dense, end-heavy branches act like sails in high winds
- Root zone issues: Soil erosion, root decay, or recent disturbance that may have compromised the tree's anchorage
- Signs of disease or decline: Refer to our guide on signs your tree is dying for what to look for

An assessment takes about an hour for a typical residential property and gives you a clear picture of your risk exposure before storm season hits.

2. Structural Pruning: The Most Important Step

Structural pruning is the targeted removal of branches that have poor attachment, excessive leverage, or unfavourable growth patterns. This is not about making the tree smaller. It is about making it stronger.

Key structural pruning tasks include:

- Reducing co-dominant stems: Where a tree has two competing leaders of roughly equal size, one can be subordinated (reduced in length) to transfer dominance to the stronger stem. This reduces the risk of the union splitting apart in a storm.
- Removing branches with included bark: Included bark occurs where a branch union grows inward instead of outward, creating a weak point. These unions are a common cause of limb failure.
- Crown thinning: Selectively removing interior branches to allow wind to pass through the canopy rather than pushing against it. A well-thinned crown can reduce wind load by 20 to 30 percent.

On the Central Coast, large Eucalyptus and Angophora trees in suburbs like Terrigal, Erina, and Kariong are particularly susceptible to storm damage because of their wide-spreading canopies and brittle wood. These species benefit enormously from pre-storm structural work.

For all professional pruning needs, our tree pruning team follows Australian Standard AS 4373-2007 for the pruning of amenity trees.

3. Deadwood Removal

Dead branches are unpredictable. Unlike live wood, which bends under load before breaking, deadwood is rigid and brittle. It can snap off in moderate winds, or even in calm conditions if it has decayed sufficiently. A falling deadwood limb from a large tree can easily:

- Punch through a roof
- Damage vehicles
- Injure people and pets
- Bring down power lines

I recommend having all significant deadwood (anything thicker than your wrist) removed from trees near structures, driveways, and outdoor living areas well before storm season. This is a relatively straightforward job for an experienced arborist and is one of the highest-value investments you can make in property protection.

4. Canopy Weight Reduction

Weight reduction pruning focuses on shortening long, heavy, or overextended branches. Rather than removing entire limbs, we reduce them back to a suitable lateral branch, maintaining the tree's shape while decreasing the load on branch unions and the root system.

This technique is especially useful for:

- Trees with a history of limb shedding
- Branches that overhang roofs, carports, or fences
- Trees that have been previously lopped and have dense regrowth clusters (epicormic growth) at the ends of stubs

If a previous company has lopped your trees, the resulting dense regrowth is actually more vulnerable to storm damage than the original canopy. Getting that growth properly managed is a priority.

5. Assess and Protect the Root Zone

A tree is only as secure as its root system. Storm-related tree failures are not always about branches breaking. Entire trees can uproot when the root plate fails, and on the Central Coast's sandy and clay soils, this is a real risk during saturated conditions.

To protect the root zone:

- Avoid compacting soil around trees with vehicles, heavy equipment, or stored materials
- Maintain mulch coverage: A 75 to 100 mm layer of quality mulch over the root zone protects against erosion and maintains soil health. See our guide on mulching benefits.
- Check drainage: Ensure water is not pooling around the base of the tree. Waterlogged soil dramatically reduces root anchorage.
- Do not sever roots: If you are planning any excavation, trenching, or construction near a tree, consult an arborist first. Cutting structural roots can make a tree vulnerable to toppling.

6. Know Which Trees Are High Risk

Some trees are inherently more prone to storm failure than others. On the Central Coast, the species I see fail most often in storms are:

- Eucalyptus: Particularly large, ageing specimens with heavy lateral branches
- Angophora costata: Beautiful but prone to sudden limb drop, especially in hot, calm conditions
- Liquidambar: Brittle wood that snaps rather than bends
- Camphor laurel: Shallow root systems combined with dense, heavy canopies

If you have any of these species near your house, shed, or driveway, pre-storm assessment is not optional. It is essential.

7. When to Consider Removal

Sometimes the safest option is to remove a tree entirely before storm season. This is usually the case when:

- The tree has significant structural defects that cannot be adequately managed through pruning
- Root decay or damage has compromised the tree's stability
- The tree is dead or in severe decline
- The tree's size and proximity to targets (house, power lines, neighbours) creates unacceptable risk

Tree removal is always a last resort, but it is sometimes the responsible choice. We can also handle stump grinding and advise on suitable replacement plantings.

Your Pre-Storm Checklist

Here is a summary you can work through:

- [ ] Walk your property and note any obvious deadwood, leaning trees, or overhanging branches
- [ ] Check for mushrooms or fungal growth at the base of trees
- [ ] Look for soil cracking or lifting around tree bases
- [ ] Book a professional arborist assessment
- [ ] Complete any recommended pruning or removal work before October
- [ ] Mulch root zones and ensure drainage is clear
- [ ] Secure or remove any items near trees that could become projectiles

Act Before the Storm, Not After

Every year I see the same pattern: homeowners call after the storm when a tree has already caused damage. The cost of emergency response, property repairs, and insurance excess is almost always more than the cost of preventive tree care would have been.

If you are anywhere on the Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, the North Shore, or the Hills District, I can assess your trees and get them storm-ready. Call me on 0432 687 647 or contact us to book before the season starts. Preparation is always cheaper than repair.