North Carolina and its cities, like Hickory and Raleigh, issued a state of emergency before Hurricane Dorian hit the state. The governor says that this action may help farmers and other business owners recoup their possible losses by transporting crops and other goods quickly before the storm inevitably causes flooding. Apart from the crops and vegetation, commercial landscapes may receive massive damage as well, especially the trees.

1. Floods and Their Adverse
Effects on a Landscape's
Trees
U.S. Lawns

2. North Carolina and its cities, like Hickory and Raleigh, issued a state of emergency before Hurricane
Dorian hit the state. The governor says that this action may help farmers and other business owners
recoup their possible losses by transporting crops and other goods quickly before the storm inevitably
causes flooding. Apart from the crops and vegetation, commercial landscapes may receive massive
damage as well, especially the trees.
Stern Protectors of the Urban Jungle
Trees, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), are helpful in the event of a flood
because they decrease the amount of dangerous stormwater runoff on street surfaces and local waters.
Stormwater runoff is rainfall that gets stuck on paved areas like concrete roads, rooftops, and parking
lots.
Concrete and asphalt cannot absorb water efficiently, so these puddles end up either evaporating into
the atmosphere, making their way into soils, or worse, infiltrating streams. This is because rainfall can
pick up all sorts of pollutants and bacteria from roofs and pavements, especially if the area doesn’t have
an efficient garbage management scheme.
Trees may help reduce stormwater runoff by storing rainfall in its canopy, according to the EPA. Their
roots and leaf litter may also cause the soil to take in more rainwater. The price for their protection,
however, is their life.

3. Flood Damage on Trees
According to Purdue University’s article on plant care after inundation, landscape trees and shrubs may
be permanently damaged by long-term flooding. This is because roots are deprived of oxygen when their
soil is waterlogged. This lack of oxygen may also kill off the healthy bacteria in the dirt, causing an
imbalance that may affect the plant’s growth and health. According to the North Carolina Forest Service
(NCFS), flooding may also introduce dangerous fungi like the Phytophthora, which may destroy the roots.
To prevent damage to trees, the NCFS suggests hiring a professional commercial landscape service
provider to aerate the tree’s soil. This way, the trees can take in oxygen from the atmosphere better in
the event of a flood. These firms may also help provide proper fertilization to introduce nutrients that
the soil lost during the flood and provide other restorative services to the landscape. With rising sea
levels in the NC area, plants need all the help they can get to survive the next flood.

4. Sources:
https://uslawns.com/locations/nc/hickory/
https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/nc-hurricane-dorian-state-of-emergency/83-
e9ee4e9c-86e4-4eb7-8a60-31194bbce3c5
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi/P100H2RQ.PDF?Dockey=P100H2RQ.PDF
https://articles.extension.org/pages/73750/how-do-urban-trees-reduce-flooding
https://www.purdue.edu/hla/sites/yardandgarden/after-the-flood-garden-and-landscape-
plants/#targetText=The%20general%20thought%20is%20that,about%20a%20week%20or%20so.&targetText=
In%20areas%20of%20severe%20flooding,can%20damage%20the%20root%20system.
https://www.ncforestservice.gov/Managing_your_forest/pdf/flooddamagetotrees1994.pdf
https://slate.com/technology/2019/08/hurricane-dorian-north-carolina-climate-change-sea-level.html