When Storm Fury Strikes: Your Essential Guide to Safe Tree Removal and Insurance Claims

Storm-damaged trees pose immediate and ongoing threats to your property and safety. Whether dealing with hanging branches, partially uprooted trees, or complete tree failures, knowing how to respond safely while protecting your insurance interests can save lives and thousands of dollars in additional damage.

Immediate Safety Assessment: Your First Priority

Safety first! Stay at least 25 feet away from any downed power lines and contact local authorities to report downed lines. Before approaching any storm-damaged tree, conduct a thorough safety assessment of the entire area. Downed trees and large limbs are often unstable and can move or pivot unexpectedly. Look for hanging, broken limbs that can drop from overhead.

Avoid rushing outside immediately after a storm, as there may be hidden dangers such as downed power lines, unstable branches, or weakened tree trunks that could pose a risk. Always prioritize personal safety and that of others before evaluating the extent of the damage.

Essential safety precautions include:

• Wear protective gear such as gloves, hard hats, and safety goggles. Stay away from hanging branches or trees leaning precariously. Keep children and pets away from the damaged area.
• Broken branches near powerlines or high in the canopy should be removed by an arborist.
• For safety reasons, always allow the utility company to handle broken limbs or tree damage around power lines.

When to Call Professionals vs. DIY Assessment

If the tree is leaning or has a compromised root system, it may pose a risk of falling and causing further damage or injury. In such cases, it is recommended to seek professional assistance from certified arborists who have the expertise and specialized equipment to safely evaluate and stabilize or remove the tree.

Professional intervention is necessary when:

• Severe splitting of the main trunk or any type of injury that results in the removal of more than one-third of the bark around the circumference of the main trunk is usually enough damage to make removal necessary. Larger trees that have had their tops broken are also likely compromised to the point where removal is needed.
• While smaller debris like twigs and branches might be manageable, larger trees or significant damage require professional intervention. Attempting to cut or remove large, storm-damaged trees without proper equipment and expertise can lead to severe injuries.
• Tree pruning and removal is serious stuff. In fact, it’s been documented as one of the most dangerous professions. In our experience, we’ve seen a lot of accidents happen after the storm, and it’s a result of people attempting DIY tree repair.

For Long Island residents dealing with storm damage, professional Tree Removal Suffolk County, NY services can provide the expertise needed to safely handle dangerous situations while protecting your property from further damage.

Understanding Your Insurance Coverage

Homeowners insurance coverage for storm-damaged trees depends on specific circumstances and where the tree falls. If a storm blows down a tree and it lands on your home, your homeowners insurance will cover cost of its removal. In other situations, coverage will depend on what caused the tree to fall.

What’s Typically Covered

Homeowners insurance covers fallen trees when they damage your home or other insured structures and the cause is a covered peril like wind, lightning, hail, fire, vandalism or a vehicle crash. Your insurance pays for both repair costs and tree removal when: A storm knocks a tree onto your house, garage, fence or shed. A tree falls due to fire, explosion, lightning, aircraft, riot, vandalism, theft or a non-owned vehicle and lands on your property.

According to The Insurance Information Institute, “a homeowners policy covers the cost of removing the tree, generally up to about $500 to $1,000, depending on the insurer and the type of policy purchased.” However, there is a caveat though: insurers often won’t spend more than $500 per tree. So if four trees fall on your lawn, the insurer will likely only pay a maximum of $2,000 — or $500 for each tree.

What’s Not Covered

Homeowners insurance won’t cover tree removal if the cause isn’t a covered peril or if there’s no damage to an insured structure. You’re not covered if: The tree fell due to an excluded event like a flood or earthquake (unless you have separate coverage). The tree came down because of age, rot or disease, which are considered maintenance issues. The tree didn’t damage anything when it fell.

Unfortunately, insurance will probably not cover the removal of a limb that is hanging and has the potential to cause damage (but hasn’t yet). Insurance is generally only going to cover damage that’s already happened.

Filing Your Insurance Claim: Step-by-Step Process

When filing an insurance claim for storm-damaged trees, documentation and timing are crucial:

1. Document Everything: Document damage with lots of pictures like you’re doing. Also need to immediately protect any other items from damage by putting tarp over shed to prevent any further water damage, etc.
2. Contact Your Insurance Company: Contact insurance company to begin claim process. They should tell you whether you can do removal yourself, or if they want a tree removal company.
3. Emergency Measures: The homeowner is required to take reasonable measures to keep both people and property safe and waiting for multiple estimates could put the homeowner in a dangerous situation or cause further property damage.
4. Professional Assessment: Homeowners should look for a reputable tree service with experience in handling insurance claims.

Working with Contractors

When hiring a tree service for emergency cleanup, ensure that the company is licensed and insured. This protects you in case of accidents during the cleanup process and guarantees that the service is qualified to handle storm-damaged trees. Request proof of insurance and check online reviews or references. Get a written estimate before any work begins to understand the costs involved.

Safe DIY Cleanup for Minor Damage

For minor storm damage that doesn’t require professional intervention, follow these safety protocols:

Safe, proper use of chainsaws to remove or cut up larger material requires thorough knowledge of the equipment and experience in saw operation and maintenance. Never cut above shoulder height with a chainsaw, and always wear proper safety equipment (e.g., hearing and eye protection, leather gloves, hard hat, steel-toed boots, and chainsaw chaps).

For minor branches and smaller debris that can be handled without professional help, follow proper safety procedures. Use tools like loppers or hand saws to trim broken branches, and ensure you dispose of the debris responsibly. Check with your local waste management service for guidelines on disposing of tree debris. Use a tarp to gather and move smaller debris, making the cleanup process more manageable.

Prevention and Long-term Tree Health

Even if insurance covers fallen tree damage, prevention is still the safest and most cost-effective approach. Trees that are rotting, hollow, leaning, or have exposed roots are more likely to fall during a storm. Hire a certified arborist to inspect and remove trees that show signs of structural weakness or disease.

Routine maintenance of your tree, which includes addressing any issues that may be found, will go a long way in protecting it. This might include a task like thinning out the canopy in order to let the wind go “through” the tree as opposed to hitting it like a wall during a storm. It would also include removing dead or damaged limbs, pruning, and potentially even installing cabling and bracing if it’s determined your tree could benefit from this service.

Conclusion

Storm-damaged trees require immediate attention and careful handling to protect both safety and financial interests. While minor cleanup may be manageable for homeowners, significant damage demands professional intervention. Understanding your insurance coverage limitations and requirements helps ensure proper claim handling, while preventive maintenance reduces future storm damage risks. Remember that safety always comes first – when in doubt, contact certified professionals who have the expertise and equipment to handle dangerous tree situations safely and effectively.