Last Monday’s monsoon flooded buildings, downed power lines and stranded people all across the Valley. Fire officials said they received more than 400 calls in a two-hour period, although no deaths or serious injuries were reported. 

In addition, hundreds of trees were damaged or lost completely, and it won’t be easy to replace those trees at golf courses and parks, said Brian Blake of Whitfill Nurseries.

“Well the reality is that they’re not gonna replace the trees as large as the ones that sometimes blow down. You know, many of the trees that blow down are 30-, 40- or 50-feet tall. But we sell trees in the 20- to 25-foot range. And big trees like that installed, cost somewhere between $1,250 and $3,500,” Blake said.

Before more monsoons come, Blake recommends pruning your trees and making sure to water over long periods of time so they have a chance to root deeply.