Again, some of our coastal areas are being hit with terrible weather. Soon, though, the bad weather will subside and the affected residents will begin to work towards recovery. As they begin to cut damaged trees and remove debris, many will see drastic changes in their yards. One of the most common problems after hurricanes, severe storms and wildfire is soil erosion.

Grass, trees, shrubs and perennials are often damaged and even uprooted leaving the top soil exposed and it ends up washing away. Planting ground cover plants covering with a light layer of straw (not hay) will go a long way to help.

Ways to control erosion:

• Weed netting or weed barrier
• Mulch with straw 
• Terrace hillsides or banks with logs, fallen trees, straw bales, large stones or other barriers
• Wattles
• Silt fences
• Berms
• Plant
• Reseed with grass blends that will grow within that season
• Planting ornamental grass clumps

Attacking erosion as quickly as possible will help reduce the damage. Once the erosion is under control, the homeowners can begin planting back trees, shrubs and perennials.