A Tree Has Come Down in a Storm: What to Do
If anyone is in danger, call 999. If a tree is on a power line, call 105 and keep well clear.
For anything else, our emergency line is staffed 24 hours a day on 07522 167 197. You’ll speak to a person, not a voicemail.
First, Make Everyone Safe
- Keep people and pets well away, including from the area under any broken branches still in the tree. Hanging branches can drop at any moment, even once the wind has died down.
- If a tree has hit the house, get everyone out of the rooms under the damaged area. A part-fallen tree can move again.
- Treat anything near a cable as live. Don’t touch the tree, the fence or anything it’s resting on.
- Don’t try to cut it up yourself. Fallen and leaning trees are under huge tension, and pinned branches can spring back with lethal force when they’re cut. This is the job most likely to put someone in hospital.
Then Photograph Everything
Before anything is moved, and only if it’s safe to, take photos of the tree, the damage and the surroundings from a few angles. Insurers usually want to see the situation before it was cleared, and once a tree has been cut up it’s too late.
If you have the time, note when it came down and what the weather was doing.
Whose Tree Is It?
Your own tree. It’s yours to deal with. Damage caused by a falling tree is usually covered by home insurance, but clearing a tree that hasn’t damaged anything often isn’t, so check your policy.
Your neighbour’s tree. You’d usually claim on your own insurance first, and your insurer decides whether to recover the cost from them. Owners are generally only liable if they knew, or should have known, the tree was unsafe. Let your neighbour know, and keep a record.
A street tree or a tree in a park. Report it to whoever owns it, which is usually the council, or The Royal Parks for Bushy Park, Richmond Park and the other Royal Parks. Don’t have it cut up yourself unless it’s an emergency and you’ve been told to.
We can’t give legal or insurance advice, but we can give you the paperwork insurers usually ask for: photos, an itemised quote and invoice, and proof we’re qualified and insured.
Protected Trees in an Emergency
If the tree has a Tree Preservation Order or is in a conservation area, you can still do the work needed to make a genuinely dangerous tree safe without waiting for consent. You must then tell the council in writing as soon as practicable, and you need evidence the danger was real. Only the work needed to remove the danger is covered.
We photograph and record the condition properly and send that notice for you. More on the rules in our guide Do I Need Permission to Cut or Prune a Tree?
What We Do When We Get There
- Make the site safe first, which can mean taking down hanging limbs or a split stem before anything else
- Clear anything blocking a road, drive or doorway
- Leave anything that can wait until daylight, when it can be done safely and properly
- Take everything away, or leave the timber cut to size for firewood if you want it
- Provide photos, a written assessment and paperwork for your insurer
If the tree has only partly failed, we’ll tell you honestly whether what’s left can be kept with some careful work, or whether it’s safer to remove it.
Before the Next Storm
Most trees that fail in a storm gave some warning first. It’s worth a look round your garden in autumn, especially at big trees near the house, roads or anywhere children play. Things to look out for:
- Cracks or splits, particularly where two big stems meet
- A lean that has developed recently, or ground lifting on one side of the base
- Mushrooms or brackets growing on the trunk or around the roots
- Dead branches, especially over paths, drives and parked cars
- A crown that has become very top-heavy or one-sided
If something doesn’t look right, send us a few photos on WhatsApp or book a free visit. Dealing with it calmly in autumn costs a fraction of dealing with it in a gale.
Storm-Damaged Trees: Common Questions
Can you come out tonight?
If it’s genuinely dangerous, yes. Our line is staffed 24/7. Tell us what’s happened, what it’s landed on and whether anyone’s hurt, and we’ll be honest about whether it needs someone out now or can safely wait until morning.
Can I move the fallen tree myself?
Please don’t. Fallen trees are under huge tension and branches can spring back with lethal force when cut. Leave it to trained people.
Will my insurance cover it?
Damage caused by a falling tree is usually covered, but clearing a tree that hasn’t damaged anything often isn’t. Check your policy and photograph everything first. We can provide quotes, invoices and our certificates for the claim.
A broken branch is hanging in my tree. What should I do?
Keep everyone out from under it, as hanging branches can drop at any moment, even on a calm day. Don’t try to pull it down or climb up to it. Ring us and we’ll make it safe.
There are just small branches down. Is that an emergency?
Usually not. Small fallen branches and storm debris can be booked in at normal rates. Send us a photo and we’ll arrange it.