Fallen Tree in Your Yard? Your Five Immediate Next Steps

When a tree falls in the forest, it may not make a sound. But it will make an impact when it falls near you.

Falling trees kill more than 200 Americans every year. Scientists have found nearly 100,000 dead yet standing trees in the eastern United States alone. Any one of these trees can fall over at any moment.

What should be your first response to a fallen tree? Who can you call for help, even when you are in the middle of the storm? How can you prevent another fallen tree from happening?

Answer these questions and you can keep your home from significant storm damage. Here are five things you should do after a tree falls in your yard.

As soon as a tree falls down, you should assess the situation. Start with the room you are in. If the power went out or if the room shook, you should assume the tree hit a power line at a minimum.

Try to get to a window and look out to see what is happening. Even if you can’t see the tree, you can see where you can go if you need to evacuate.

If there is no apparent damage to your home, you can go to a location where you can see the fallen tree. Do not go outside or get any closer than you need to. Pull out your phone and take photographs of the damage.

If a tree fell on your house, you should evacuate. It does not matter if there is no immediate damage. Rainwater and wind can push on the tree and puncture a hole in your ceiling.

Try to find an area where you can place a phone call. This may involve going to a store or an area near a radio tower.

Call 911 if anyone has been injured. Keep in mind that a branch may have fallen onto your neighbor’s property or into the road. Try to see if everyone around you is OK.

You can call a company as soon as your tree falls. You should keep in mind that they may not respond to you right away. A major storm will cause other trees to fall over and block roadways.

But placing a call will expedite the removal process. Tell them what storm damage from trees you have. Tell them where and how big the tree is.

Try to assess their experience and skills. Ask them about how to remove a fallen tree. If they are not clear in the details, talk to a different company.

You can ask about prices, but keep the focus of your call on the immediate situation. Tree removal is more important than saving money.

Once your call with the tree removal company is over, you should call your insurance company. Tell them what happened, what has been damaged, and where you are.

Be as detailed with your descriptions as possible. Try to itemize your damaged belongings, including your fence and car.

As with a professional removal company, you should not expect immediate treatment. Many people may be calling your insurer. You may be put on hold or connected to a representative you do not know.

They may ask you to send photographs of the damage. Do so as soon as possible. You may need to move to an area where you have Wi-Fi access.

After you are done with your insurance company, focus on your safety. Wait for the inclement weather to pass before you go outside. You can wait in a neighbor’s house or your car if you feel unsafe inside your home.

Lock your doors and windows before leaving. Remove your valuables and secure them in drawers away from sight.

Place boards or solid objects over any holes in your wall or broken windows. This will prevent animals and floodwater from entering your house.

Do not try to remove the tree itself. It may have damaged the integrity of your home or knocked down a power line. Do not go near a downed power line, even if you are wearing protective equipment.

Ask a home inspector to come into your house and inspect the foundation. A tree that fell in your hard may have damaged it, even if it missed your house entirely.

Do not stay in a house with a damaged foundation or destroyed walls. Allow someone to make repairs, but stay at someone else’s place until your home is whole again.

Let the professionals take care of the tree for you. You can supervise their work, but let them do their jobs.

After the tree has been removed, think of some steps you can take so damage does not happen again. You may want to remove dead or decaying trees from your property. You can also hire a tree trimming service that will remove extended branches.

Reinforce your walls and roofing for added security. You can install stones, plywood boards, and metal grids to increase your home’s strength. Try to remove fragile objects from your walls so a tree in your backyard will not rattle them.

Prepare an evacuation plan in the event that your home gets damaged again. Figure out where you will go if you need to leave and decide what you need to take. If you are in an area that has a lot of storms, you can prepare a go-bag with medication and important documents.

A fallen tree requires immediate intervention. Assess the damage near you and outside. If you are at risk, get out of your house.

Call a tree removal company so they can respond to you right away. Then talk to your insurance company about the potential damage.

Board up any damaged areas and do not go near your tree. Let the removal company come and do that work for you. Take steps to improve the integrity of the house and your personal safety.

For local tree service contact on of these Levy Citizen advertisers:

Stump Guys 239-272-8004

Tim’s Lawn Service 352-441-1759

Griffin’s Tree Trimming 352-535-5334

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