A tree falling on your house is sure to cause surprise, panic, and distress. Knowing the next steps is the best way to ensure the safety of your family and minimize the damage caused by this home disaster.
Every region faces a storm season where homes are damaged by high-speed winds and fallen trees. Here in southern Indiana, storm damage reaches its peak in Spring and Summer. While the high winds and rain of Spring and Summer storms are dangerous enough – tearing off roof shingles and sending lawn furniture flying, the greatest risk comes from fallen trees.
High winds can rip free weak tree limbs, sending them crashing onto your roof, or they can uproot entire trees for even more widespread damage. With so many aged trees in our lovely neighborhoods, there are plenty of broad-limbed but weak-rooted trees that might eventually cause you a problem. As tree removal experts, we put this guide together to walk you through the procedures necessary to stay safe and begin restoring your home.
Here’s what to do when a tree falls on your house.
Step 1: Ensure Immediate Safety
- Evacuate
- Avoid Hazards
- Call 911
As soon as the tree falls, get everyone to safety. Leave the house immediately. Collect family members and pets, perform a head-count if needed to ensure you have everyone, and get a safe distance away. Primary damage can lead to secondary damage, and you have no way of knowing what might collapse next.
Avoid potential hazards such as downed power lines and structural instability. Don’t touch anything as you leave the house, and watch out for damage in the neighborhood also caused by the storm or the fallen tree.
Once everyone is safely away, call emergency services. Dial ‘911’ for immediate assistance. This is especially important if anyone was injured, if there is a risk of fire, or if you suspect a gas leak in the house from the fallen tree damage.
Step 2: Assessing the Damage
- Visual Inspection
- Avoid Re-Entry
- Document the Damage
The next step is to calmly inspect the damage. Conduct a safe visual inspection from a distance to determine the possible extent of the damage to your house. A glancing blow from the tree or a single fallen tree limb may do less damage, but a massive tree through the center of your house can be far more destructive.
Do not go back into the house or approach any vertical walls. No one should re-enter the house until it is deemed safe by restoration professionals.
Document the damage from a safe distance to aid in the insurance process. Use your phone to take high-detail photos and videos. Walk around the house, as much as is safe, to record the damage from different angles and try to document the full extent of the damage caused by the fallen tree.
Step 3: Contacting the Right Professionals
To recover from a tree falling on your house, you will need three professional services: tree removal, home repair, and your insurance company to help cover the costs.
Start Your Insurance Claim
Contact your insurance company and begin your insurance claim. A standard homeowner’s insurance policy will typically cover the cost to remove the tree, clean up the site, and repair your home. But insurance claims can take time, so send in your photos and get started as soon as possible.
Tree Removal Services
Before you can restore your house, you’ll need to have the tree removed. This is often an involved and very careful process of breaking up and extracting the heavy trunk and limbs that have landed on your house. Anthony’s Tree Removal is a trusted local service in Bloomington, Indiana, capable of removing fallen or unsafe trees from any property.
Home Repair Services
Once the tree is removed, you will be able to hire the home repair and restoration services you need to rebuild your home. This may include rebuilding structures, repairing water damage, restoring utility function, and re-roofing your home to ensure your house is once again a safe place to live.
Step 4: Preventing Future Incidents
- Tree Health Checks
- Pruning and Maintenance
- Emergency Preparedness
Many neighborhoods have old trees that pose a far higher risk than people realize. Long, extended tree limbs, extremely tall trees, and loose or moist soil all pose additional risks. Fortunately, a little awareness and tree maintenance can go a long way to protecting your home.
Check the health of your trees. Regular inspections can help you identify hazards like areas weakened by lightning strikes, rot, or parasite growth. Keep an eye on the soil quality and the sturdiness of your trees root structure, as well.
At Anthony’s Tree Removal, we know that pruned and maintained trees are much less likely to fall. Trees with an even canopy and with branches that never get too long or overburdened are essential to a tree’s durability and long life. Anthony’s Tree Removal can provide pruning and maintenance services for your trees to reduce the risk of future falls.
Lastly, be prepared for emergencies. Create an emergency plan for family safety, including evacuation routes and key contacts. Having a plan can help keep your entire family safe.
Recovering from A Tree Fall Disaster
While a tree falling on your house can be a traumatic experience, following the proper steps can help you ensure your family’s safety and minimize the damage before your home can be restored. Anthony’s Tree Removal service provides local expertise in handling tree fall incidents in Bloomington, Indiana and the surrounding towns in the area. Contact our service for all your tree care and removal needs, from emergency tree removal to routine maintenance keeping your tree safe.
Additional Emergency Resources
Local Emergency Numbers for Bloomington, IN
- 911 – Emergency services
- fire, medical emergencies, crimes in progress
- 812.339.1444 – City of Bloomington Utilities Emergencies
- 800.521.2232 – Duke Energy downed power line emergency
- 800.264.7362 – South Central Indiana REMC
Guide: Filing a Claim for Indiana Home Owners
Guide to filing storm damage claims for local home owners in Bloomington, IN.
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