When a severe thunderstorm, tropical storm, or hurricane sweeps through the Tampa Bay area, trees come down. Whether it is a massive live oak onto your roof, a pine through your fence, or a large limb blocking your driveway, knowing what to do in the first hours after the damage occurs is critical to protecting your family, your property, and your insurance claim.
Step 1: Ensure Everyone’s Safety First
Before doing anything else, make sure everyone in your home is safe. If a tree has come through your roof, ceiling collapse and structural instability are possible. Get your family out of the affected areas and assess from a safe distance. Do not re-enter areas with active structural damage until a building inspector or contractor has cleared it.
Never approach a tree that is in contact with power lines. Downed lines may be live even when there are no obvious sparks or sounds. Call Tampa Electric (TECO) at their 24/7 outage line before anyone approaches a tree near electrical lines.
Step 2: Document Everything with Photos and Video
Before any cleanup begins, take extensive photos and video of all damage. Photograph the fallen tree from multiple angles, all affected structures, interior water damage if the roof is compromised, and any personal property that was damaged. This documentation is essential for your homeowner’s insurance claim and needs to capture the original state of the damage before any work begins.
Step 3: Call Your Insurance Company
Contact your homeowner’s insurance company as soon as possible to file a claim. Most policies cover damage to your home caused by fallen trees, though the tree removal itself is often only covered when the tree has struck an insured structure. Your insurance adjuster will want to see the documentation you captured in Step 2. Keep records of all communication with your insurer and get claim numbers in writing.
Step 4: Call a Licensed Emergency Tree Service
Do not wait to address a tree that has fallen on your home, is blocking a critical access route, or is in a position where additional movement could cause more damage. Darrell’s Tree Service provides 24/7 emergency tree removal throughout Tampa Bay. We respond rapidly, assess the situation safely, and remove trees from structures with minimal additional damage to your home.
Be cautious of door-to-door contractors who appear in your neighborhood immediately after a major storm. After hurricanes and tropical storms, unlicensed contractors flood the Tampa market. Always verify that any company you hire is properly licensed and insured in Florida before allowing them to perform any work on your property.
Step 5: Protect Your Home from Further Damage
If your roof has been breached, a licensed contractor should apply a temporary tarp to prevent water intrusion from rain. This emergency protection is essential to prevent interior water damage from compounding the original storm damage. Insurance companies expect reasonable steps to mitigate additional damage after an event, and documented tarping shows you took appropriate action.
We’re Ready When You Need Us Most
After a storm hits the Tampa Bay area, our emergency crews mobilize quickly. We serve Tampa, South Tampa, Brandon, Carrollwood, Riverview, and Wesley Chapel. Call Darrell’s Tree Service 24/7 at (813) 775-8978 for emergency tree removal assistance. We will be there as fast as we can.
