By the JCS Tree Care team · Led by an ISA Certified Arborist · Updated June 2026
The short version: After a storm, safety comes before cleanup. Keep clear of any downed or hanging limbs and treat every fallen wire as live. Check for danger to people and structures first, document damage for insurance, and leave anything involving power lines, a tree on your house, or limbs hung up overhead to professionals. For a tree down on your home or blocking access, that’s emergency work. Call (248) 965-9035, or get a free instant estimate for non-urgent cleanup.
Do this first
- Check for injuries and immediate danger. People first. If anyone is hurt or a line is down, call emergency services.
- Stay away from power lines. Treat any downed or sagging wire — and anything touching it, including a tree — as live and dangerous. Keep everyone, including pets, well back, and call your utility.
- Look up before you walk under anything. Storms leave “hangers” — broken limbs caught in the canopy that can fall later. Don’t stand or work under a damaged tree.
- Get everyone out of a damaged structure if a tree is on the house and there’s any sign of structural movement.
Then, when it’s safe
- Document the damage. Photograph the tree, the damage, and anything it hit before cleanup. Your insurer will want it.
- Call your insurance company if a tree hit a structure, vehicle, or fence — they’ll explain what’s covered and what they need.
- Clear only what’s safe and on the ground. Small, ground-level branches well away from lines are reasonable to move. Everything else can wait for a crew.
What not to touch
- Anything near or touching a power line. Always. This is utility and professional work, never DIY.
- A tree resting on your house, garage, or car. It’s under tension and can shift suddenly. A crew will release it in a controlled way.
- Limbs hung up in the canopy. “Widowmakers” fall unpredictably and cause serious injuries.
- A partially uprooted or leaning tree. The root plate can drop back or the tree can fall the rest of the way without warning.
Why storm trees are dangerous to handle
Storm damage puts trees under tension and compression in ways that aren’t obvious. A trunk pinned under its own weight, a half-broken limb, or a leaning tree all store energy that releases the moment it’s cut — often violently. That’s why storm cleanup, beyond simple ground-level branches, is a job for an insured crew with the training to read and release that tension safely.
How JCS handles storm calls
For urgent situations — a tree on a home, blocking a driveway, or hung up over a target — we respond and make the site safe, releasing the tree in controlled sections and clearing the debris. For non-urgent storm cleanup, you can start with a free instant estimate. Either way, an insured crew handles the tension and the heavy lifting so no one gets hurt.
Frequently asked questions
A tree fell on my house — what do I do first?
Get everyone out if there’s structural movement, stay clear of any lines, call emergency services if needed, then your insurer, and a professional crew. Don’t try to move the tree yourself.
Is it safe to remove storm debris myself?
Small branches on the ground away from power lines are reasonable. Leave anything overhead, under tension, on a structure, or near a line to professionals.
What if a tree is on a power line?
Treat the line as live, keep everyone away, and call your utility and emergency services. Never touch the tree or the line.
Does insurance cover storm tree damage?
It often does when a tree hits a structure — coverage varies, so document everything and call your insurer. They can confirm what applies to your policy.
