In North Texas, the weather does not slowly build up to anything; it either builds up into storms, or it rains sideways and hails. Every year the Spring storms come through the Metroplex and occasionally, there is an ice storm that makes trees bend and break under too much weight. Once the storm moves through, the aftermath might involve finding that there is now a tree on your roof, a tree branch lying across your drive way, and trees leaning towards your house.
Tree Service DFW specializes in handling all tree emergencies. Below is information regarding tree emergencies, what constitutes a tree emergency, what to do immediately after one occurs, and how Tree Service DFW takes care of tree emergencies safely.
It is important to distinguish the difference between what actually qualifies as a tree emergency from a regular pruning job that will require scheduling another day for. While trees can definitely fall into your lawn and remain relatively harmless, the following are situations where the tree must be taken care of right away:
– Trees that are laying down on structures such as houses, garages, vehicles, etc.
– Trees that are blocking the entrance or exit of driveways or streets.
– Splitting and leaning trees.
– Hangers, broken tree limbs within the tree canopy.
– Uprooted trees that lift the ground beneath.
– Trees that have fallen into and are tangled with electrical wires.
Once any one of the above applies, call a professional to handle your tree situation.
Right after the tree hits, many accidents happen that would otherwise be avoided had proper action been taken immediately following the tree fall. Immediately following such an incident the following steps should occur:
– Evacuation from harm: Get all family members as well as pets into a safe space away from the affected area in case further damage occurs or if the roof caves in.
– Staying clear from powerlines: Never assume that any downed wire is safe to touch even if they do not appear to conduct electricity anymore. Electricity can conduct through wet trees and soil, among other materials. Everyone in vicinity needs to maintain distance until the electric company deems everything to be alright. Oncor serves most DFW area but check with your city electric utility if you belong to a municipal company.
– No handling the tree personally: Fallen trees contain tension in their trunks. Cutting incorrectly can lead to falling of additional parts or collapse of entire limbs. Also, do not handle fallen trees lying on the roofs since this can cause further damage.
– Shut off utilities: In case your home has incurred substantial damage to its infrastructure, turn off gas and water supplies at the main source point. Never touch anything potentially dangerous, leave that to professionals.
– Documenting the Damage: Take multiple pictures from various angles before removing any debris.
An emergency handling of the tree is not quite similar to the routine pruning services offered by tree companies due to the condition of fallen trees after storm situations. Most trees that were felled do not come down cleanly; they tend to twist and end up on your house in a jumbled state. This complicates the process of removing the tree.
– Assessment: Our arborists will inspect the condition of your trees and pinpoint exactly which branches, trunks, and other components are carrying loads, how they interact with neighboring trees, and identify hazardous conditions.
– Controlled Removal: If the tree rests atop of one’s house, garage, or other building, the process includes controlled removal of each section by using pulleys to bring it gently down.
– Safety Precautions: In certain instances when there isn’t much light or if electric companies still haven’t come by to ensure safety around their equipment, our team performs necessary actions to stabilize existing issues.
– Cleanup: We remove fallen pieces of branches and trunk, hauling them off site. Additionally, we grind out the tree stumps of completely felled trees if need be.
– Evaluation: Our professionals check out other remaining trees that have grown on your property for possible issues. We recommend pruning those that pose potential hazards.
Roof punctures caused by a fallen tree should be taken care of by roofing companies who will put tarps temporarily to prevent leakage. During handling operations, we coordinate between the two parties so the removal can occur before the roof fixes.
Not all trees withstand harsh storm winds equally well, especially if planted in North Texas’ unique environment. The following types of trees fail during a severe weather condition.
– Bradford Pear trees are very popular for their flowering capability. Unfortunately, however, their branches fuse tightly to the center creating vulnerable structures prone to splitting down.
– Hackberry Trees grow fast and become ubiquitous across North Texas yards but fail to provide adequate structural support for branches due to relatively soft wood composition.
– Silver Maples and Cottonwood Trees grow quickly and become immense; while this characteristic is desirable for providing ample shade, it makes them highly susceptible to storms and heavy rains.
Live Oaks, Cedar Elms, Bur Oaks tend to cope much better but any tree regardless of type fails under poor growth conditions, disease infection, physical trauma, or prolonged rains saturating the surrounding clay soil and leading to root instability.
As stated previously, prevention is crucial. Walk around your yard once or twice annually checking if any of the following warning signs exist and consider preventive maintenance actions accordingly:
– Dead branches
– Trunk cracks and splitting
– Visible fungi
– Leaning
– Hollow trunk cavity or missing bark
– Branches rubbing against roofs
Inspecting the health of your trees ahead of time allows performing remedial measures before it becomes an actual problem requiring urgent attention. Plus, it is much cheaper to take precautions in terms of money.
Most homeowner insurance covers expenses associated with removing fallen trees damaging houses or garages but does not cover costs related to trees falling in yards without hitting any structures. It depends on your policy what specific coverage you have so contact your insurer upon seeing damage to determine your eligibility. Also keep receipts and request documents for all emergency expenses incurred.
Call Tree Service DFW if there are fallen trees in your yard or if they seem unstable. We will come to take care of your trees and answer any concerns.
