Experts offer tips to avoid tree-related power outages

JACKSON, Tenn. — Bad weather across West Tennessee has led to hundreds of residents being temporarily without power.

One reason for the outages? Fallen trees and branches.

“We had eight to nine major outages where we actually had breakers that would open and shut down a large number of customers,” Jackson Energy Authority spokesman Steve Bowers said.

Bowers says tree trimming is a preventative measure to ensure that fallen limbs and branches affect as few customers as possible.

“The system is trimmed every three years in total. You do one section a year for three years,” Bowers said.

But there are still challenges.

“There’s no way to quickly rectify that for the customers in that immediate area,” Bowers said. “You have to go out there and chainsaw that tree away, you have to reset the poles, reset the lines, so it’s a time-consuming process.”

Part of fighting the battle means homeowners cleaning up their own trees around their houses that could be vulnerable to high winds.

Brock Davis, owner of Davis Brothers Tree Care, says sometimes looks can be deceiving.

“Everything can be rotten and hollow, and it’ll still leaf out because the outside two layers do all the nutrient and water transport up to the tree,” Davis said.

He also says to keep an eye out for fungus growth or other abnormal spots. If you still can’t tell, there is help available.

“If you have any concerns, it’s always a good idea to call an arborist and have them come look at it,” Davis said. “It’s usually no cost to have somebody come out and inspect them to make sure they’re safe.”

Bowers says in order to trim around power lines, companies must have a special certification.

If you have trees close to your power lines, always contact your utility company before trimming.