Getting Lake Charles Trees Ready for Hurricane Season: Lessons From Laura and Delta
Two hurricanes six weeks apart in 2020 showed which trees fail first. Here is what the National Weather Service recorded, what hurricane research says about species and pruning, and a yard check you can do before June.
What Laura and Delta did here
Hurricane Laura made landfall at Cameron around 1 a.m. on August 27, 2020, with sustained winds of 150 mph. The NWS Lake Charles: Hurricane Laura 2020 page calls it the strongest hurricane to affect Southwest Louisiana. It describes wind damage to buildings and trees as "major to catastrophic" across Cameron and Calcasieu parishes. The NWS Laura wind and pressure table lists a gust of 133 mph at the Lake Charles airport.
Six weeks later, Delta came ashore near Creole, 12 miles east of Laura's landfall. The NWS Lake Charles: Hurricane Delta 2020 page reports a 96 mph gust at the NWS office in Lake Charles. It also notes that tree and structural debris still piled along roads and in drainage ditches made flooding worse, and that wind blew some of it out of the piles.
The lesson for every yard in town: trees that were already damaged, decayed or poorly pruned went first, and debris that wasn't cleared became a hazard of its own.
What the research says about trees in hurricanes
The University of Florida has studied tree damage after hurricanes for decades. Its UF/IFAS, "Wind and Trees: Lessons Learned from Hurricanes" report makes four points that apply directly to Lake Charles:
- Species matters. Live oak and southern magnolia are in the highest wind-resistance group. Pecan, laurel oak, water oak, Bradford pear and Chinese tallow are in the lowest.
- Pruning matters. In one study, 73 percent of properly pruned trees survived high winds, compared with 47 percent of unpruned trees.
- Age matters. Laurel oak typically lives about 50 years and begins to decay around 40.
- Wet soil matters. Slow, rainy storms saturate the ground and reduce the friction between roots and soil. That's how healthy trees get pushed over.
Walk your yard before June: the check
| Look for | Why it matters | What we'd do |
|---|---|---|
| Cracks or splits where big limbs join the trunk | Weak unions fail first in high wind | Reduce or remove the limb, or cable and brace it if the tree is worth saving |
| Mushrooms, cavities or soft wood at the base | Decay hidden in the root flare | Arborist assessment before deciding |
| A lean that has gotten worse, or soil heaving on one side | Roots are letting go | Usually removal |
| Hangers or broken tops still up from past storms | They'll come down in the next blow | Remove them now |
| Tall pines with dead tops near the house | Dead wood breaks easily | See pine tree removal |
| Dense, never-thinned canopy | Catches the wind | Structural pruning, never topping |
What you can do yourself, and what you shouldn't
Yours: walk the yard, photograph trees near the house, pick up fallen limbs, and keep yard debris out of ditches.
Ours: anything off the ground, anything near a power line, and anything leaning on a structure. If a line is involved, call the utility first.
After the next storm
- Stay clear of downed lines and assume they're live.
- Photograph damage before anything is moved.
- Call for emergency storm tree removal if a tree is on the house or blocking access.
- Stack debris where your parish says, away from drains. We offer debris haul-away if you'd rather not wait.
What sets the price
Free estimates, in writing. Pre-storm work is priced by tree size, species, lean, distance from structures and lines, and access for equipment. Post-storm work adds rigging, crane needs and how much damage is tangled together. Planning ahead costs less than an emergency call during a regional cleanup.
Our pre-season visit
- We walk every tree within striking distance of the house, garage and driveway.
- We flag defects and rate each tree: keep, prune, cable, or remove.
- You get a written plan with prices, ordered by risk.
We're insured, and we'll tell you when a tree is fine as it is.
Hurricane tree questions
Which trees hold up best in Lake Charles hurricanes?
UF/IFAS hurricane research ranks live oak and southern magnolia among the most wind-resistant Southeastern coastal plain species. Pecan, laurel oak, water oak, Bradford pear and Chinese tallow are in the lowest group. Condition matters as much as species, though. A decayed live oak can still fail.
Should I cut down every tall pine near the house?
No. Remove trees with real defects: decay, cracks, a lean that's getting worse, root damage, or dead tops. Healthy, well-rooted trees slow the wind. We'll mark which ones we'd keep and why.
Does pruning actually help in a hurricane?
UF/IFAS found that properly pruned trees (not topped, with open, well-distributed crowns) survived high winds better than unpruned trees. In one study, 73 percent of pruned trees survived compared with 47 percent of unpruned ones. Topping does the opposite and creates weak regrowth.
When should I schedule storm prep?
Before hurricane season gets busy, so you aren't competing for crews. After a storm warning is issued, it's too late for anything but emergencies, and debris left at the curb can become a projectile.
Can you help with insurance after a storm?
We document tree damage with photos and a written description of what fell, what it hit and what we removed. Coverage decisions belong to your insurer. Read your policy and call your agent.
What about the debris piles after a storm?
Follow parish and city pickup rules. After Delta, the NWS noted that debris piled along roads and in drainage ditches added to flooding and some was blown around by the wind. Keep piles out of ditches and away from storm drains.
Sources
- NWS Lake Charles: Hurricane Laura 2020: landfall, intensity, damage across Cameron and Calcasieu.
- NWS Laura wind and pressure table: Lake Charles airport peak gust.
- NWS Lake Charles: Hurricane Delta 2020: landfall, Lake Charles gust, debris problems.
- UF/IFAS, "Wind and Trees: Lessons Learned from Hurricanes": species wind resistance, pruning survival, age, saturated soils.
Book a pre-season tree check
Call us any time, 24/7, and we'll set up the visit. The form below is for non-life-safety storm damage and scheduling.