Tree Care & Storm Prep Guide for Holden Beach, NC

Wind damage is obvious the morning after a storm. Saltwater in the soil is not — it shows up weeks or months later as leaf scorch, thinning canopy and dieback in trees that looked untouched.

If your yard took saltwater, generous freshwater irrigation over the following weeks can help flush salts through sandy soil. Give affected trees time before deciding they're dead; some recover slowly through the next growing season.

Choose salt-tolerant natives — wax myrtle, yaupon holly, live oak, red cedar, cabbage palmetto — and expect them to grow shorter and denser here than the same species would inland.

Keep large, top-heavy trees away from the immediate roofline where you can. On a narrow island lot, a smaller mature size is a feature, not a compromise.

• Prune deadwood and hangers well before the season, while crews are available
• Photograph the property and each significant tree for documentation
• After the storm, treat every downed line as energized and stay clear
• Look for tilted trees and cracked, lifted soil — a tree that moved is not stable
• Get anything leaning toward the house assessed before the next system arrives