JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tree trimming companies said they are slammed with last-minute calls ahead of Hurricane Dorian.
Odom’s Beaches Tree Service said it averages about 15 calls a day, but now they’re getting anywhere from 35 to 40.
CEO Boyd Deley said he has three four-man crews hopping from job to job in Jacksonville.
“We’re definitely in hurricane mode,” Deley said. “We’re going as fast as we can being as safe as we can, trying to keep up with all the calls we’ve got coming.”
He said they are thinning out the trees and performing basic hurricane maintenance.
“Trying to make sure they’re ready for the storms to get the wind to blow through the trees instead of catching them,” Deley said. “That’s when you get your broken branches and your uprooted trees.”
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He said a lot of the calls are people who need a dead tree removed from their property.
If his crews or another company can’t get to it before the storm, Deley recommends that they sleep on the opposite side of the house and away from the tree.
Better yet, Deley said stay with family or friends if you can.
MORE: Buresh Blog, Talking the Tropics with Mike, Download the free First Alert Weather app
He said if a tree trimming service asks you to pay upfront, you should avoid them.
“If they can’t afford to come and do a tree job at your home, then you don’t need to hire them,” Deley said.
Cox Media Group
