Hurricane season runs from June through November, but the trees that fail in a storm usually showed warning signs long before it arrived. A quick walk around your yard with your eyes pointed up can tell you a lot.
Start with dead wood. Brown, leafless limbs and branches with peeling bark are brittle and are the first things to break loose. Anything dead that hangs over the roof, driveway, or a neighbor's fence should come down now, not after a storm.
Next, look at the trunk and base. Mushrooms growing at the base, cavities, cracks, or a tree that has started to lean more than it used to can all point to rot or root problems. Laurel oaks and water oaks, common across Hillsborough and Pasco, are especially prone to decay as they age.
Finally, check for crowded canopies. A dense crown catches wind like a sail. Thinning it out so air can pass through, and clearing limbs away from the house, lowers the chance of a big break without taking down a healthy tree.
If you're unsure about a tree, it's worth having someone look at it while the weather is calm. We give free estimates across the Tampa Bay area and can tell you what needs attention now and what can wait.