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A tree just came down. The first hour.
Six things, in order. Keep this where you can find it in the dark.
- Get everyone away from it, including you. A tree that has already fallen can still
move. Branches under tension let go without warning. Keep children and pets inside.
- Assume every wire is live. Do not touch a wire, or a branch touching one, or a fence a
branch is lying across. Stay well back and call the utility first. Nobody should work a live
line.
- Shut off what needs shutting off. If the tree hit the house, and it is safe to reach
the panel, kill the power to the affected part. If you smell gas, get out and call it in from
outside.
- Photograph everything before anything moves. Wide shots and close ones. The tree, the
damage, the whole property. Your insurer will want to see it as it landed, and once a crew starts
work that view is gone for good.
- Stop the damage getting worse. A tarp over a hole in the roof, buckets under leaks.
Insurers expect you to limit further damage, and they usually cover what you spend doing it. Keep
the receipts.
- Call your insurer, then call a crew. In that order where you can. Ask about debris
removal limits while you have them on the phone, because that is the part people get caught
out by.
Choosing a crew when you are under pressure
Storms bring people who knock on doors. Ask for proof of insurance before anyone climbs
anything, get the price in writing, and be wary of anyone wanting cash up front. A company that
cannot show you a certificate is a company you are carrying the risk for.