Perth is no stranger to wild weather. From the powerful east-to-west fronts that tear through the Swan Coastal Plain in winter to the fierce late-afternoon thunderstorms that roll in during summer, our trees cop a beating every year. And while a healthy, well-maintained tree is remarkably resilient, one that has been neglected — overcrowded, poorly structured, or quietly decaying inside — can become a serious hazard the moment conditions turn.
The good news is that storm damage is often preventable. A little proactive tree care in the weeks and months before storm season can dramatically reduce the risk of branches coming down on your roof, your fence, or your family. In this article, we’ll walk you through exactly how to prepare your trees before the storms hit, and what to do if you walk outside after a big blow and find a tree that wasn’t there the night before.
Understanding Perth’s Storm Season
Perth experiences two distinct periods of elevated storm risk throughout the year.
The first is winter storm season, roughly June through August, when cold fronts from the Southern Ocean deliver heavy rainfall, sustained winds, and occasional severe gusts across the Perth metropolitan area. These fronts can be particularly destructive to large, overextended canopies that hold moisture and offer significant wind resistance.
The second is summer storm season, from November through March, which brings intense but fast-moving thunderstorms. These storms are often short and sharp, but the associated downbursts and wind shear can reach extraordinary speeds in a matter of minutes — catching unprepared trees completely off-guard.
For Perth homeowners with large established trees, being storm-ready is a year-round mindset. But the two most important windows to carry out preparatory work are April to May (before the winter fronts arrive) and September to October (before the summer storm season begins in earnest).
How to Prepare Your Trees for Storm Season: A Practical Guide
1. Book a Professional Tree Assessment
The single most valuable thing you can do before storm season is have a qualified arborist assess your trees. A trained eye can identify risks that simply aren’t visible from the ground — internal decay, root damage, structural weaknesses in major branch unions, and crown imbalances that dramatically increase the likelihood of failure under wind load.
An arborist assessment doesn’t mean your trees will necessarily need heavy work. Often it results in a short list of targeted interventions: one branch removed here, a crown thinned slightly there. But identifying these risks before a storm, rather than after, is the difference between a manageable maintenance job and an emergency call at 11pm on a Sunday night.
At AB Trees, we offer free, no-obligation quotes and honest advice. If your trees don’t need work, we’ll tell you.
2. Remove Dead, Dying, and Structurally Weak Branches
Dead branches are the most predictable source of storm damage. Unlike green, living wood, dead branches have no flexibility — they don’t bend with the wind, they snap. And because their attachment point to the living tree has often already begun to decay, it takes far less force to bring them down.
Walk around each of your significant trees and look up. Dead branches are typically identifiable by their lack of foliage, grey or dark bark, and a brittle, dry appearance. Any dead wood hanging over a roof, driveway, path, or area where children play should be considered a priority removal before storm season.
The same applies to branches with visible cracks at their union with the trunk, branches growing at very narrow or tight angles (known as co-dominant stems), and any limbs that show signs of fungal decay at their base. These are the branches most likely to fail in a storm.
3. Crown Thin Densely Packed Canopies
A dense, overcrowded canopy acts like a sail in high winds. The more foliage a tree is carrying and the less wind can pass through the canopy, the greater the force exerted on the trunk, root system, and major branch unions during a storm.
Crown thinning is the selective removal of branches throughout the canopy to reduce its overall density and improve wind permeability. When done correctly by a qualified arborist, crown thinning retains the tree’s natural shape and silhouette while significantly reducing its vulnerability to wind damage.
This is particularly important for large spreading trees like peppermints, eucalypts, and mature ornamentals in suburban Perth gardens. Many of these trees have never been thinned and are carrying far more canopy than is structurally safe.
4. Address Unbalanced or One-Sided Canopies
Trees that have grown disproportionately toward one side — often because they’re reaching for light or have been unevenly pruned in the past — carry an unequal wind load. In a strong storm, that imbalance significantly increases the risk of the tree leaning, uprooting, or losing a major limb on the heavy side.
Crown rebalancing or crown reduction on the overextended side helps redistribute weight and wind resistance more evenly across the tree’s structure. This is skilled work that requires proper arborist training to carry out without harming the tree.
5. Inspect the Base and Root Zone
The health of a tree in a storm is only as good as its anchorage in the ground. Root damage, root rot, and soil disturbance around the base of a tree are serious risk factors that aren’t always obvious from a visual inspection.
Warning signs at the base of the tree include:
- Fungal brackets or mushrooms growing from the roots or at the base of the trunk — these are often indicators of internal root decay
- Raised or cracked soil on one side of the tree, suggesting the root system is already beginning to lever out of the ground
- Recent excavation or construction near the tree that may have severed significant roots
- Soft or spongy bark at the base of the trunk, which can indicate internal rot
If you notice any of these signs, do not wait for storm season to pass before seeking advice. A tree with significant root decay can fail without warning, even in moderate wind conditions.
6. Check Trees Near Powerlines and Structures
Branches growing into or over powerlines are a particular concern during storm season. Western Power has obligations to keep powerlines clear of vegetation, and they will act if a tree poses an imminent risk — but it’s far better to manage this proactively on your own terms.
Similarly, any branches extending directly over your roof, outbuildings, fences, or parked vehicles should be assessed and managed before the first major storm of the season. The cost of preventive pruning is almost always significantly less than the cost of storm damage to a structure.
After the Storm: Is a Leaning Tree Safe?
You’ve made it through a wild Perth storm — the wind has dropped, the rain has cleared, and you head outside to survey the damage. One of your trees is leaning noticeably. It might be a few degrees off from where it was yesterday, or it might be almost horizontal. Either way, the question you’re asking is the right one: is it safe?
The honest answer is that a leaning tree after a storm should always be treated as potentially dangerous until a qualified arborist has assessed it. Here’s why — and how to think through the situation.
The Difference Between a Pre-Existing Lean and a New Lean
The first thing to determine is whether the lean is new. Some trees naturally grow at an angle due to their site, prevailing winds, or competition for light, and a pre-existing gentle lean on an otherwise healthy tree with a well-anchored root system is not necessarily cause for alarm.
A new lean that appeared after a storm is an entirely different situation. This indicates that something has changed structurally — either the root system has begun to lift on one side, the tree has shifted at its base, or a significant internal structural failure has occurred. In all of these cases, the tree is in a compromised and unpredictable state.
Signs That a Leaning Tree Is an Immediate Danger
Keep a safe distance and look for the following warning signs. If you observe any of them, keep everyone away from the tree and its fall radius immediately:
- Raised or mounding soil on the opposite side of the lean — this is the root ball beginning to lever out of the ground. A tree in this state can complete its fall quickly and without warning.
- Exposed roots on one side of the base, particularly if they appear snapped or torn rather than simply uncovered.
- Cracks or splits in the trunk, especially near the base or at major branch unions.
- The tree has partially fallen and is resting against another tree, a fence, or a structure — this is sometimes called a “widow maker” situation, as the supported weight can shift suddenly and unpredictably.
- Damaged or severed roots visible on the surface, indicating the root system is no longer providing adequate anchorage.
- The lean is greater than 15 degrees from vertical in a tree that was previously upright.
Any of these signs warrants treating the situation as an emergency. Do not attempt to stake, rope, or “correct” a significantly leaning tree yourself. A large tree that completes its fall is one of the most dangerous scenarios in a suburban garden.
What to Do If You Have a Leaning Tree After a Storm
Step 1: Establish a safe exclusion zone. Keep family members, pets, and vehicles clear of the entire potential fall zone of the tree. This is typically at least 1.5 times the height of the tree in every direction.
Step 2: If the tree is near or touching powerlines, call Western Power first. Do not approach a tree that is in contact with powerlines under any circumstances. Call Western Power on 13 13 51.
Step 3: Call a qualified arborist as soon as possible. An experienced arborist can assess the situation quickly and advise on whether the tree can be safely monitored, needs immediate removal, or in some cases, can be winched and re-anchored if the root system damage is limited and the tree has good long-term prospects.
Step 4: Document the damage. Photograph the tree, the root zone, and any property damage for your insurance records before any work is carried out.
Step 5: Do not attempt DIY remediation on a large leaning tree. The risks of a tree moving unexpectedly during removal or stabilisation work are extreme without the right equipment and expertise. This is not the time for a YouTube tutorial.
Can a Leaning Tree Be Saved?
Sometimes, yes. If a tree has been partially uprooted during a storm but the root system is largely intact and the tree is structurally sound, re-anchoring with professional cabling or guying systems can stabilise it while the roots re-establish. This is most viable with younger trees and those of significant amenity or heritage value.
In many cases, however, a tree that has been significantly uprooted or has sustained major structural damage in a storm is best removed. A tree that has partially failed once is considerably more likely to fail again, and no amount of cabling can fully compensate for a compromised root system or fractured trunk.
An honest arborist will give you a clear recommendation based on the individual tree, its species, its age, the extent of the damage, and its location relative to structures and people. At AB Trees, we always give our clients the full picture so they can make an informed decision.
Don’t Wait for the Storm to Find Out
Storm damage to trees is largely predictable and largely preventable. The trees that fail in Perth’s storms are almost always the ones that had existing problems — dead wood, structural imbalances, root decay, overcrowded canopies — that simply weren’t addressed before the wind arrived.
Taking the time to have your significant trees assessed before storm season is one of the most cost-effective investments a Perth homeowner can make in their property. It protects your home, your family, your neighbours, and the trees themselves.
AB Trees is a family-owned, fully qualified arborist team servicing Perth’s southern suburbs and beyond. We offer free, no-obligation quotes, carry full insurance, and operate with a strict no mess, no damage policy on every job.
Whether you’re preparing for storm season or dealing with the aftermath of a recent blow, we’re here to help. Call us on 0424 150 899 or send us an enquiry at abtrees.com.au — and let’s make sure your trees are ready for whatever the Perth weather throws at them.
