KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was probably one of the first things you noticed Tuesday morning — heavy, wet snow causing tree branches to sag or even snap off. But if you just had tree limbs down, count yourself lucky, because some people had entire trees uprooted.
We caught up with Ken Olson cutting up limbs in his yard with a handsaw, because his chainsaw is electric and he has no power.
“I’m just cutting up part of it trying to get it out of the way,” he said.
When the sun came out Tuesday morning and people could see the damage, they started calling for help. Ty “The Tree Guy” Simmons says his phone at Safety Tree Service has been ringing off the hook since early this morning, and they’re having to prioritize their calls.
“Prioritizing based on safety, human hazards, if something has fallen on the house, power line or car,” he said, “and the elderly, if they’re trapped which is something people don’t see. We see it a lot because they don’t have anyone here in town to help them.”
For people who are worried about their tree’s health because of things like torn branches, Simmons says as long as there are no safety concerns like power lines down you could take a broom to small trees and gently get some of the heavy snow off. But his advice for preventing broken limbs and branches in the future is to stay on top of your tree maintenance.
“So any deferred maintenance stacked up over the years because the trees have not been a priority for people are the ones who will see that impact at their home, compared to people on a maintenance plan and taking care of things in advance,” said Simmons, “now is when you see the investment come back.”
Simmons also says when hiring a tree service, do your research. If the person you hire doesn’t have adequate insurance, liability or worker’s comp, the homeowner could be help liable. Best to go with reputable companies who can show you proof of insurance instead of just hiring some stranger who knocks on your door.
