Preparing for hurricane season

Q. I have a tall pine tree near my mobile home in Homestead, and I'm afraid a hurricane will make it crash onto my roof or my neighbor's.

I've called FPL repeatedly to get it trimmed or removed, but I've gotten nowhere.

-- I. H., via post office


A. An FPL inspector has visited your area and determined that the utility has no responsibility for the property involved. He said there are no AT&T facilities nearby, either.

Thus, you need to turn to your community managers who govern the property.

Hurricane season starts June 1, so this is a good time to start looking for dead or weakened branches that could snap during a storm. Prune them properly (don't hatrack them), and they'll be better able to withstand high winds.

FPL reminds its customers that they shouldn't attempt to trim any vegetation growing on or near overhead power lines; only specially trained professionals, armed with protective gear, should tackle the job. At www.FPL.com/trees, there's a list of qualified contractors. If you have no access to the web, call the customer service number on your FPL bill for guidance.

 

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Not a registered user? It's Free! Register here. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s):
Enter City:
Select a State:
Select a Category:
Search by Category
Advanced Job Search

NATIONAL NEWS VIDEO