TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - Clouds have been piling up. The humidity's been rising.
Monsoon is on the way to break the heat.
Now's the time to take precautions so the storms don't damage your home and car.
One of the things smart homeowners are doing is preparing their trees for when those thunderstorms roll in.
In the Rita Ranch yard we visited, there was just too much risk winds would make a tree fall into the wall and pool enclosure so it has to go.
But most trees do not need something so drastic. They need a trained arborist like Mary Slachter of Quality Tree Service with the expertise to know where, and where not to trim so the wind can pass through the branches without pushing a tree down.
Slachter says, “You need to thin the tree evenly get rid of limbs that cross over so that the wind does not get trapped in there and pull."
You should also make sure trees don't rub on your roof. They can cause expensive damage.
Slachter warns if you hire the first guy who shows up at your house with a chainsaw he may not have the know how to make the precision cuts that will help your trees survive the big storms. An incorrect trim could make your trees more likely to fall.
There's plenty of chance to drive into trouble when the big rains hit.
You'll need to see clearly. At BrakeMax they say make sure the dry heat hasn't rotted your wipers.
To avoid skids on the slick streets you'll need tires with good tread...and understand pressing your luck in high water can risk your life and your engine.
Brakemax manager John Amstutz says, "If the engine through the intake system sucks water into the intake, goes into the engine where the combustion chamber is it'll hydro-lock. It'll try to compress that water, which it won't be able to do and it'll bend rods and do some internal damage of the engine."
And even if you think you got through the high water okay, it pays to ask a mechanic to make sure the water won't cause trouble later.
You can see more on preparing for monsoon in KGUN9's 2017 Monsoon weather special.
