How to Prep Your Trees for Dallas Storm Season

Spring in Dallas means one thing: storm season. Between March and June, North Texas sees some of the most severe weather in the country — high winds, large hail, and the occasional tornado. If you have mature trees on your property, that's a real risk.

The good news is that most storm damage is preventable. Here's what to do before the storms hit, and what to do if one catches you off guard.

Before storm season kicks into gear, walk your property and look at your trees with fresh eyes. You're looking for:

• Dead branches — These are the first things to come down in wind. If you can see dead wood in the canopy, get it removed before it becomes a projectile.
• Cracks or splits in major limbs — A crack that looks stable in calm weather can fail completely under load.
• Leaning trees — Some lean is normal, but a tree that has shifted its lean recently, or one leaning toward your house, is worth having evaluated. Our post on 7 signs your tree needs to come down covers these warning signs in detail.
• Exposed or lifting roots — This can indicate root damage or soil instability, which affects how well the tree anchors in wind.
• Tight V-shaped branch unions — These are structurally weaker than wide U-shaped unions and more likely to split.

If you spot any of these, call an arborist before storm season, not after.

A well-trimmed tree is a safer tree. Thinning the canopy reduces wind resistance — instead of acting like a sail, the tree lets wind pass through. This dramatically reduces the chance of uprooting or major limb failure.

In Dallas, we recommend getting your trees trimmed in late winter (January–March) so they're in good shape heading into spring storm season. If you missed that window, early spring trimming is still better than nothing.

If you have a large, mature tree with a structural weakness — a wide-spreading limb, a co-dominant stem, or a crack in a major union — cabling can provide extra support. A steel cable installed between major limbs limits how far they can spread apart in a storm, reducing the risk of splitting. Our tree health and cabling service handles exactly this kind of structural work.

Cabling isn't a fix for a dying or severely damaged tree, but for a healthy tree with a specific structural concern, it can add years of safe life.

Even a well-maintained tree can take damage in a severe storm. Here's how to handle it:

Immediately after the storm:

• Stay away from any tree that has fallen on a structure, fence, or power line. Call a professional — and if it's near a power line, call the utility company first.
• Don't try to move large fallen limbs yourself. Logs and branches under tension can spring unpredictably when cut.

In the days after:

• Walk your property and look for hanging branches ("widow makers") — branches that are broken but still caught in the canopy. These can fall without warning.
• Check for bark damage, split limbs, or uprooting. Even if a tree is still standing, storm damage can compromise its long-term health.
• Document damage with photos for insurance purposes before any cleanup begins.
• For a full walkthrough of what to do in the first 24 hours after a tree comes down, see our emergency tree removal guide.

If a tree has fallen on your home, vehicle, or is blocking access to your property, that's an emergency. Tree Crew offers 24/7 emergency response for Dallas homeowners. We'll get there fast, make the situation safe, and handle the full cleanup.

Don't wait on emergency tree situations. A tree on a roof can cause water damage within hours, and a blocked driveway can prevent emergency vehicles from reaching you if needed.

Call us anytime at (972) 999-3627. We're here when you need us.