Hawaiian Electric vegetation management experts share storm preparation and tree maintenance tips
Hawaiian Electric vegetation management experts
share storm preparation and tree maintenance tips
HONOLULU, July 30, 2021 – Seven years ago, a storm called Iselle blasted across the Hawaiian Islands, becoming the third strongest and third costliest tropical cyclone in our state’s history. Fallen trees – particularly the invasive albizia species – took down utility lines, damaged homes and blocked roadways.
Although none of the storms that have developed in the Pacific during the first two months of the 2021 hurricane season have posed a threat to our islands, Hawaiian Electric vegetation management crews remain on alert. They work year-round, inspecting trees along our power lines, looking for anything that could become a problem in windy and stormy weather.
Hawaiian Electric shares tips for what customers can do on tree maintenance before and after a storm, especially if you have albizia trees on or around your property.
On albizia trees:
- “It grows so fast, about 12 to up to 20 feet a year that it doesn’t have time to put on its reaction wood or for the wood to compress. So you get these really long branches that grow in size really, really quickly on weak wood, on weak attachments.” (:29)
- “I highly recommend that people become familiar with what it looks like when it’s small.” (:04)
- “And get rid of them, pull them out of the yard, pull them up by the root whenever you see ’em. And if you have a large one in your in your yard, start working on getting rid of it.” (:09)
- “The longer it’s there, the higher your chances are of having a serious failure that leads to some serious damage.” (:09)
On preventive maintenance:
- “Preventative maintenance is the best and that’s all year round. Keep your trees free of dead wood. Keep your trees free of structural defects. (:11)
- “If there’s debris on the ground try to get that cleaned up or secured down If you can, garden tools, and just make sure there’s nothing that can become a projectile.”(:17)
