The First Hour After a Tree Falls on Your House
A tree coming down on a roof during a storm is disorienting. Here is the order of operations that keeps everyone safe and protects your insurance claim.
Get Everyone Clear First
Move everyone out of any room directly under the damage. A sagging ceiling means the structure underneath is compromised, so don't go up into the attic to look. If you smell gas or hear sparking, get everyone outside and call the gas company or 911 from a safe distance. Never touch a downed power line, or anything touching one, and treat every line as live until the utility company confirms it's safe, whether that's Duke Energy or TECO depending on where you are in Tampa Bay.
Document Before Anything Moves
Once everyone is safe, photograph and video the tree, the damage, and the surrounding yard from several angles before any cleanup starts. Insurance adjusters want to see the scene the way the storm left it, not after a crew has already cut and hauled everything away. Note the time it happened, and if a shared tree fell across a property line, get your neighbor's information too. A tarp over an open roof hole can stop rain from getting further in, but don't move or cut branches that are still wedged into the structure.
Who to Call, and in What Order
Call your insurance company first so the claim is open before repairs begin. Then get an insured tree removal crew out for the part that can't wait, getting the tree off the house safely, before a roofer starts any work. Removing a tree that's still resting weight on a roof takes rigging experience most roofing contractors don't have, and it's not a job for a ladder and a homeowner's chainsaw. We connect homeowners with insured storm response crews who handle exactly this kind of call.
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