SURVIVING YOUR NEXT TREE ~EMERGENCY~

The best advice is to hire a tree care professional  with the experience, expertise and equipment to safely take down or prune damaged trees. Require proof of liability insurance and check to see if your own insurance company will cover the cost of the work.

***As for the homeowners who will attempt this work on their own, which is not recommended, here is a primer on safe tree and brush removal.***

• Assume any downed powerline is energized, including  telephone and cable wires. 
  
  
• Do not  touch a tree or anything touching the downed line. Make sure that no one else, including  pets, go near it. Contact with energized lines can result in electrocution.
  
  
• Call the utility company immediately!

• Note the location of other people in the area and plan an escape route from the falling tree before cutting it down.
  
  
• Carefully inspect the tree and the surrounding area for anything i.e., utility lines, property, vehicles, etc. that might get hit or interfere with the tree falling or being removed.
  
  
• Examine the shape and lean of the tree. Inspect the trunk for decay, weak spots, hanging limbs and any metal or concrete in or around the tree. If so, the tree is unstable; take extra precaution  while removing that tree.
  
  
• Even small trees bent under tension can be extremely hazardous.

Do not  use a chainsaw for tree removal unless you have years of experience in handling one. Even professional tree care personnel face risk,  each year many are seriously injured using chainsaws. Tree removal is very unpredictable--do not take unnecessary chances!

Have a Certified Arborist evaluate your trees. Doing this will help you determine potential weaknesses and dangers. Ask the arborist to look for signs of potential hazards, such as stress cracks, weak branches and other subtle indicators. Check the tree for dead or partially attached limbs hung up in higher branches that could fall and cause damage or injury during a storm.

To assist you in determining if one of your trees is a potential hazard, check this list:

• Are there large dead branches in the tree?
• Are there detached branches hanging in the tree?
• Does the tree have cavities or rotten wood along the trunk or in major branches?
• Are mushrooms present at the base of the tree?
• Are there cracks or splits in the trunk or where branches are attached?
• Have any branches fallen from the tree?
• Have adjacent trees fallen over or died?
• Has the trunk developed a strong lean?
• Do many of the major branches arise from one point in the trunk?
• Have the roots been broken off, injured or damaged by lowering the soil level, installing pavement, repairing sidewalks or digging trenches?
• Has the site been recently changed by construction, rising the soil level or installing lawns?
• Have the leaves prematurely developed an unusual color or size?
• Have trees in adjacent wooded areas been removed?
• Has the tree been topped or otherwise heavily pruned?

AFTER-STORM cleanup:

The first step in after-storm cleanup, is to assess the situation and decide what needs to be done--and by whom. Immediately notify the police of any wires that are down on sidewalks or streets. Stay away, and keep other people away! In case of tree damage on your property, notify the phone or electric company of any problems with wires.  Do not try to correct the situation yourself. It is common in some areas for people to show up at your door offering their services to remove or repair trees.  

Established in 1980, ARBOR TREE CARE, inc.  has removed literally thousands of hazardous trees, so we bring with us, the expertise needed to safely serve others in the community. We are covered by both general liability and workers' compensation insurance. Additionally, we are members of the Tree Care Industry Association and International Society of Arboriculture who keep our industry moving forward as true professionals.