Stormproofing your grounds can be an arduous task at the best of times, but it always pays dividends in the end. Storms bring a lot of risk of heavy damage and can even be a danger to people, too, but you can minimise this with good grounds maintenance. Here are some of the key grounds maintenance tasks that you should carry out to maximise your stormproofing.

Keep On Top Of Your Drainage

One of the main causes of storm-related damage is poor drainage. This is why your grounds maintenance needs to include an inspection of these systems to make sure they’re clear and functional. Clearing drains and gutters of debris such as leaves and sediment is crucial for ensuring they’re working properly – ideally during the summer before storms arrive.

Check Your Trees

One of the biggest dangers to people and property during a storm is an overgrown or damaged tree. Weak limbs snapping due to high winds and rain is a risk that you want to avoid at all costs, as the potential damage they can cause is quite extreme. Inspect your trees during your grounds maintenance routine. If you’re noticing that your trees are showing signs of damage, overgrowth or leaning, get in contact with a professional tree surgeon as soon as possible.

Secure Loose Items

Strong winds can easily take up unsecured items on your grounds. Garden furniture, planters, equipment and decorations are all easily blown away in strong winds and can become lost or damaged very quickly. In the worst case, they can also become a dangerous projectile. When conducting grounds maintenance in preparation for a storm, secure or store any items that are at risk of being taken by the wind.

Check Electrical Items

Electrical items, particularly lighting systems, play a huge role in both the aesthetics and the overall safety of your grounds. However, they need to be well-looked after, or they stand a great risk of being damaged and potentially becoming dangerous. Electrical systems that are exposed to water will quickly fail, but they also become a major electrocution or fire hazard. Make sure that checking your electricals is a regular part of your grounds maintenance routine to avoid these risks.

Develop A Storm Response Plan

You can do more than grounds maintenance tasks to help keep your property safe in the event of a storm. A solid, well-thought-out storm response plan will be crucial when things take a serious turn for the worse. You need a checklist of what your highest areas of risk are and what kind of damage you need to be looking out for. Most importantly, you need a list of contacts to hand, such as a reliable emergency tree surgeon,  who can carry out work quickly when it’s needed.

Schedule A Professional Grounds Maintenance Audit With Arborcure

For the best possible stormproofing advice, get in touch with the pros at Arborcure. With over 30 years of experience in professional grounds maintenance and accreditations that you can trust, we promise to deliver you an exceptional result. We can carry out any grounds maintenance tasks that need doing, including tree removals, hedging and landscaping work. You can get in touch with us today for a free, no-obligation consultation.