After the Storm: What to Deal With First

After a significant storm across Volusia or Brevard, every tree company in the region is booked. Knowing what genuinely cannot wait, and what can, matters.

Immediate — do not wait, and do not approach

• Anything on or near a power line. Assume every line is live. Do not approach, do not move debris near it, and call the utility. This is not a tree service call until the utility has made it safe.
• A tree on a structure, particularly one still under load and moving.
• Hanging limbs over anywhere people walk or park. A partially detached limb held in the canopy is the most dangerous thing on most properties after a storm.
• A tree with a moving root plate — soil heaved on one side, visible movement. It can go the rest of the way with no further wind.
• Blocked egress. A tree across the only way out is an emergency regardless of anything else.

Soon, but not tonight

• Split or partially failed limbs still attached.
• Trees leaning that were not leaning before.
• Damage to a tree over a structure that is stable for now.
• Large debris in the way of access.

Can wait for a normal schedule

• Broken small limbs and general debris.
• Leaf and small branch litter.
• Cosmetic damage to trees away from structures.
• Stump grinding.
• Anything on a tree that is stable and away from targets.

Do not do this yourself

Storm-damaged trees are under loads that are not obvious. A bent stem or a lodged limb can release with enormous force when cut. Chainsaw injuries spike after storms and most of them are people cutting storm-damaged wood without understanding the tension in it.

If you must clear debris, stay away from anything under tension, anything overhead, and anything near a line.

The other storm hazard: scams

Storm chasers arrive within days. Before anyone touches a tree on your property:

• Verify general liability and workers compensation with the carrier, not from a photocopy.
• Get it in writing — scope and price — before work starts.
• Do not pay in full up front.
• Be wary of pressure and of prices that seem far below everyone else.

Document everything

Photograph the damage before anything is moved, including wide shots showing context. Insurers ask, and after cleanup there is nothing left to show.