Metro Atlanta tree trimming company sees increase in calls ahead of Hurricane Isaias

Hurricane Isaias is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rain to metro Atlanta this weekend.

While most of Georgia is outside the storm's projected path, the region could see wind gusts of up to 40 mph and 3 inches or more of rain.

David Hall, founder of Top Tier Trees, said forecasts of heavy rain and wind often bring an increase in calls.

"Anytime we've got that swell from the storm and there's expected to be winds and heavy rains, the phone starts to ring," Hall said. "People trying to get in the queue to get things taken care of."

Hall said his company's priority is to make properties safer, regardless of the storm.

"There are quite a few telltale signs that a tree may be more hazardous than another," Hall said. "Pruning can often mitigate that. Sometimes we do have to do removal; a lot of times there's nothing that needs to be done, and we let the customer know that as well."

While it might be too late to schedule tree trimming before the storm, Hall said homeowners can still take precautions. He suggested identifying trees that lean toward the house and avoiding those parts of the home while the storm passes.

"Maybe hang out in the front or in the basement, similar to, you know, your normal inclement weather preparations," Hall said.

Georgia Power also urged customers to prepare for possible outages.

"Go ahead and get your emergency kit prepared, your portable chargers, bottled water, canned goods, any extra medications you may need and have a plan in place with your loved ones if your phones die," said Georgia Power spokesperson Amanda Sowells.

She encouraged families to choose a meeting place and plan how to handle appliances and refrigerated food if the power goes out.

"Go ahead and make a plan now, in case you do have any prolonged outages after the storm," Sowells said.