Cleaning Up After Irene
The sun may be shining, but thousands are still without power throughout New Hampshire, major flooding in the North Country has destroyed roads, bridges and inundated homes in the area, and clean-up is just beginning.
Elsewhere in New Hampshire, crews are restoring power from downed limbs and trees, many schools cancelled classes today, and residents are busy cleaning up their yards.
What to do following a flood
We have a wealth of information for residents faced with the heavy burden of cleaning up after the flooding that took place along the Pemigewasset, Connecticut, and Sugar rivers, as well as smaller tributaries throughout the North Country.
Our web page, Preparing for an Emergency, offers a wealth of information to help individuals and families prepare, live through, and recover from emergencies.
Debris Cleanup
Cleanup of debris has started, but the most important message is trees and forests recover from damage, so don’t panic, be safe and seek professional help.
The best advice is a word of caution: Removing large trees or limbs is dangerous. Don’t climb a ladder with a chain saw. Don’t climb into a damaged tree. Never touch any tree near electrical wires. Assess your particular tree situation carefully and watch for safety hazards. Most tree work needs to be done by professional arborists, especially when the work requires climbing or the tree is leaning against another tree or structure.
Stay safe! Seek professional advice before undertaking the job, and use common sense as you work. A few tips:
- Don't try to clean up storm-damaged trees during during high wind conditions.
- Stay away from downed or sagging power lines until utility crews have arrived and repaired them.
- Don't work alone.
- Wear a hard hat and other recommended safety gear.
- Watch for hanging limbs and leaning trees.
- Remember that trees and branches may be unstable and pose considerable risk.
- Contact your insurance company for instructions, and take pictures to document damage for potential claims.
Assess immediate hazards first: Remove dead trees; trees or branches that are leaning; trees with broken or cracked stems; trees with extensive broken roots; and any large, dead, or broken limbs that are still attached to the tree.
Hire an arborist: For homeowners, hire a qualified arborist to get the work done properly and safely. Trained arborists are aware of proper pruning and removal procedures and can reduce the chance of further damage to the tree. Check to see if they are certified and ask for certificates of insurance, including proof of liability for personal and property damage and worker’s compensation. Also, request local references and get more than one estimate.
Prevent additional damage: Later, you may want to prune the damaged trees to improve appearance and reduce additional hazards. If the top has been broken, the tree should be pruned back to a strong lateral branch. Damaged branches should be pruned back to the branch collar.
Don’t forget to look at your trees in the spring and summer: Some damage may not be immediately apparent. Hidden cracks may cause branches to droop when leaves come out in the spring. Stem decay, as well as cracks, may lead to structural loss, causing the tree or large branches to become hazardous. Root damage may not be evident until twigs or branches in the upper crown begin dying after two or three growing seasons.
Hire a forester: If you own large acreage, contact your County Extension Forester or a licensed forester to assess the damage, then salvage the trees if needed. Over time, damaged trees may develop decay and discoloration. As long as it is safe, there is no need to rush. You have more than a year to act before you lose wood to discoloration and decay.
For additional information and assistance: Call your local UNH Cooperative Extension County Forester
Information about damage to individual trees
- Hiring an Arborist
- Tree Work Contract
- NH Arborists Association Certified Arborists
- Pruning Storm Damaged Trees
- Large Tree Care and Pruning
- No Work Zones around Hazard Trees
- Safe Timber Harvesting
- Casualty Loss to Shade Trees (related to federal income tax)
Information about woodlot damage
- Assessing the damage to your woodlot - note: These instructions are written for a federal assistance program which isn't available, but the procedure described is useful.
- Directory of Licensed Foresters
- Selecting a Forester
- Selecting a Logger
- Timber Sale Contract describes key elements of a contract and includes sample clauses and explanations of their meanings. This version contains sample contract language only.
- Forest Laws
- Timber Sale Guidelines
- Income Tax Deduction for Timber Casualty Loss (related to federal income tax)
If you have any questions about downed wires or removing or pruning trees near downed wires, contact your Utility Company:
Public Service of New Hampshire: 800-662-7764
Unitil: 800-852-3339
New Hampshire Co-op: 800-439-8864
National Grid: 800-322-3223
Calls about power outages should be made to utility companies and emergency calls for police, fire or medical assistance should be made to 911.
Here are some other helpful links:
The New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands Storm Center Page
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Storm Disaster Recovery web page
National Weather Service Hurricane Center Up-to-date information about Hurricane Irene
Food Safety During Emergencies
We've drawn our online disaster-information resources from a variety of organizations, including federal and state agencies, the American Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and the Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN). In the coming months, we'll expand and update it regularly. If you note gaps or outdated information in the resources we've listed, please let us know.
