Mother Nature can be dangerous and unpredictable. As sophisticated as our weather prediction systems are, you’d need a crystal ball to tell you if a branch will come crashing through your window or whether the wind will be blowing just right for a powerline to fall on your property.
Although Ohio isn’t as vulnerable as other states when it comes to weather and climate hazard risks (think: Florida’s hurricanes or California’s wildfires), property managers in Ohio contend with severe storm damage regularly.
Considering the U.S. has sustained 395 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion, as a commercial property manager, it’s best to be prepared and think preventively to minimize risks associated with storm damage and ensure your residents’ safety.
We often get questions about how a landscaping company can assist with identifying and mitigating storm damage risks on commercial properties, whether it’s a hospital, condominium, or homeowners’ association. Here’s what we’ve learned over our 30-plus years as commercial landscape and snow and ice contractors in Ohio.
How To Reduce the Risk of Storm Damage on Your Commercial Property
Damage caused by storms and other natural disasters can be difficult to predict and prevent, but there are steps that you and your landscape contractor can take to minimize your risk of damage.
Remove Dead Trees at Risk of Falling
It pays to have a skilled landscaping professional assessing your property year-round, acting as your partner in keeping your property safe. Part of this responsibility includes identifying trees and branches that could come down in the next storm and recommending them for removal.
Any costs associated with assessments and removal are almost guaranteed to be cheaper than the damage that results from a tree falling onto something valuable — or worse, injuring a resident or neighbor.
Many insurance companies won’t raise your rates for damages that are due to “acts of God,” but that changes if it’s discovered that a party was negligent and should have had a tree removed. Such claims could cause premium hikes that you might be stuck with for up to 10 years.
Identify drainage problems
Avoid the potential for flood damage by working with a commercial landscaping company to ensure your property allows for adequate drainage during heavy rainfall.
If you notice water building up on lawn areas, the fix could be as simple as aerating the soil or grading the area. But more complex alterations such as adding a bioswale or repairing or installing drainage systems may be required.
Ignoring drainage problems could cause serious problems that range from loss of plant life to water damage to your building. A landscaping professional can identify these problems and provide you with a variety of solutions.
Questions About How To Prevent Storm Damage on Your HOA or Commercial Property?
In any case, your commercial landscaping provider should act as your partner in identifying potential storm-related hazards year-round.
The Schill Grounds Management team is always happy to help HOAs and commercial property owners and managers minimize risk on their properties. We help you reduce the risk of storm damage in several ways:
- Acting as your eyes and ears on your grounds every time we step foot on your property
- Always keeping landscaping, shrubs, and trees well-maintained during routine visits and spring and fall cleanups
- Scheduling regular service visits to walk your property, get your feedback, and proactively address any potential problems, including storm hazards
After more than 30 years in the commercial landscaping and snow removal industry, we’ve become experts at understanding how trees and other plants can affect their surroundings and communicating with our clients about how to prevent storm damage.
Don’t wait for the next storm. If you live in Cleveland, Columbus or Cincinnati, Ohio, and would like a no-obligation consultation about how to protect your property, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
