Tree Service in Daphne, AL

Tree Service in Daphne has been shaped by Hurricane Sally. In September 2020, Sally crawled ashore at Gulf Shores, and gauges around Daphne collected 8.80 to 12.58 inches of rain over three days. That much rain turns root zones to mush, and Sally's winds did the rest. Baldwin County lost a lot of trees that week. Across the county, about 4,300 trees fell on Baldwin EMC's lines alone, and on September 18 roughly 103,000 customers in Baldwin County were still without power. Trees that stayed standing in Daphne may still carry damage from that storm.

Damage that hides

Six years on, the trees that worry us are the ones that survived Sally but were hurt. Look for these:

• Large limbs that cracked and kept leafing out, with a seam or crack at the base of the limb
• Trees that shifted in wet ground and now lean slightly, with a bow in the trunk as they straighten
• Dead branch tips at the top of the crown, often from root damage
• Fungal brackets on the trunk or roots, signs of decay that entered through storm wounds

Water oaks and laurel oaks, both common on the Eastern Shore, decay quickly behind wounds. A clear look at them now beats finding out in the next hurricane.

From the bay to the hills

Daphne sits on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay and slopes from near sea level in the west to low rolling hills farther east, with no part of the city much above 150 feet. Near the bay, in and around Olde Towne Daphne, many lots are older, shadier and close to the water. Farther east, newer subdivisions have younger trees, and also pines left over from the woods they were built in. Bay-side trees take the most wind; trees on the slopes and creek ravines are more likely to be undercut by erosion. We read each lot for both.

Who owns the power lines

Daphne's electricity comes from Riviera Utilities, the public utility headquartered in Foley; water, sewer and gas come from Daphne Public Utilities. Riviera's vegetation policy says it trims its lines every three years and keeps about 10 feet of clearance from primary lines. It does not remove trees for service drops, the wire from the pole to your house. For that, a customer can ask Riviera to disconnect the service temporarily so the tree can be removed safely. We help coordinate that when a job needs it.

Getting started

The city of Daphne has the most residents in Baldwin County, 27,462 in 2020, and about 71.5% of homes are owner-occupied. Call (251) 355-2051 or send the form. We will look at your trees and give you a written quote. Get a free estimate