It should not be surprising information, even for those on the coastline, that hurricane damage can be prevented. Most prevention is obvious — build high, build solid, and don't build on a barrier island or in the path of wave wash. Don't build in a flood plain. Do cut down old tall trees that might blow over on the roof.

But there are other factors that can also help in preventing damage to homes, towns, and harbors in a severe hurricane. It involves knowing the proper kind of vegetation to have where wind and wave may cause damage. While no vegetation of any sort will stop a tsunami such as the one that struck in the Indian Ocean a few years ago, for adjusters who visit storm-ravished areas, it becomes evident what types of trees and plants survive — and which do not.

Pamela Crawford, who holds a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture from Florida International University, has written a number of books about gardening and landscaping, but her 2005 text entitled Stormscaping – Landscaping to Minimize Wind Damage in Florida (Color Garden Inc., Canton, Georgia) should be mandatory reading for all Florida and Southern coastal area residents. Max Mayfield, a director of the National Hurricane Center, said that if communities required the right kind of trees, half the damage from hurricanes could be prevented.