Arizona homeowners warned to cut back trees to avoid property damage from monsoons

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) - When Monsoon storms roll in, big trees and branches crash on homes and cars every summer. But there are things homeowners can do to protect their property.

Scottsdale homeowner Richard Gorley has seen firsthand the damage the wind and rain can do, so he brought in a professional arborist to cut back the trees around his house. “The rain makes everything soft,” said Gorley. “The wind comes along, grabs something and takes it where it’s not supposed to be.”

Al Martinez with Tree Pros said that most of the damage he sees during the Monsoon involves overgrown trees that are heavy on the ends, with branches that can easily break off. “I’ve seen big branches, big in diameter, about one-foot to two-foot branches go through the roof and halfway into a house,” said Martinez. “You have to go up on the roof and cut them, go into the house and pull that branch out and carry it out of the house.”

Martinez suggests looking up at your trees to see how thick and full they are. If they haven’t been cut back in a while, they create a “wall in the wind” that can be knocked over in a big storm. “If the tree is thinned out in the middle, you take the dead wood out take and actual growth out in center,” said Martinez. “The wind will tend to blow through the tree instead of push it, like a wind sail.”

It’s a good idea to shop around before hiring a tree-trimming company and get references from friends and neighbors. Check with the Arizona Better Business Bureau to ensure the company is licensed and bonded.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2023 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.