When a tree comes down on a house, everything feels urgent at once. Taking the right steps in the first hour keeps your family safe and makes the insurance process much smoother.
1. Get everyone out of the affected area. Assume the structure is compromised where the tree landed. Don’t go into rooms under the impact point.
2. Watch for power lines. If any lines are down or touching the tree, stay far away and call EWEB, Lane Electric, or your utility immediately. Tree crews cannot work near energized lines until the utility clears them.
3. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or there’s gas or fire.
4. Document everything. Take photos and video of the tree, the damage, and the surrounding area before anything is moved. Your insurer will want them.
5. Call your insurance company. Many homeowner policies cover removal of a tree that damages an insured structure, though limits vary. Ask what documentation they need.
6. Call a qualified tree service. Removing a tree from a roof is technical work. Cutting the wrong piece first can shift the load and cause more damage. Our crews use rigging and controlled lowering to take the weight off the structure piece by piece.
7. Tarp and secure. Once the tree is off, the roof opening needs to be covered quickly to stop rain damage.
Don’t try it yourself
A tree resting on a house is under unpredictable tension. Chainsaw work in that situation injures homeowners every storm season.
Wolfpack Tree Care responds to storm damage across Lane County. Call 541-556-9256.
