Winter Storm Tree Damage:
What to Do Next

An ice storm, heavy snow, or straight-line wind knocked trees around your property. Branches are down, a tree is leaning, power lines are involved. Where do you start? Safety first, assessment second, cleanup third.

Immediate Safety: Don't Touch Downed Trees Near Power Lines

Call your utility company (listed on your bill) to report it. They will dispatch crews to de-energize the lines. Do not clear the area or move branches until utilities confirm the lines are safe.

If a tree is hanging over power lines but has not made contact, call the utility company anyway. They will sometimes trim the tree for free to create clearance. Do not prune near power lines yourself.

Safety on Your Property: Assessment Before Cleanup

Next, walk your property in daylight (not immediately after dark when visibility is poor). Identify:

• Trees that are partially uprooted or leaning
• Large branches hanging from trees or lying across structures
• Trees that are cracked, split, or have major branch failure
• Debris covering walkways, driveways, or parked vehicles

Do not stand directly under trees or hanging branches while assessing. A loose branch can fall without warning.

Take photos of damage for insurance purposes. Document the date, the damage extent, and which structures are affected.

Immediate Cleanup: What You Can DIY

Small branches (under 2 inches diameter) lying on the ground can be cleared DIY. Use a chain saw carefully or cut manually with a pruning saw if you are not comfortable with power equipment.

Brush and smaller debris can be gathered and hauled away. Clear walkways and driveways to prevent tripping hazards and to allow emergency vehicle access if needed.

What Requires Professional Work

Do NOT attempt to:

• Cut branches still hanging from trees, they can fall unexpectedly
• Cut branches or trees near power lines or structures
• Remove large branches (over 2 inches diameter) from trees
• Deal with a tree that is partially uprooted or leaning
• Cut up a downed tree that is massive or entangled with other debris

Large-scale cleanup needs a professional crew with proper equipment and insurance.

Ice Storm Damage vs. Wind Damage: What to Expect

Ice storms add extreme weight to branches. Ice accumulation of 1-2 inches can snap branches that are perfectly healthy. You will typically see clean breaks on branches throughout the tree, a sign of ice load, not tree weakness.

After ice storms, even healthy-looking trees can have extensive internal branch loss. Assess the tree's overall structure once you can see inside the crown (after the ice melts). You may find more damage than initially visible.

Wind damage from straight-line winds or tornadoes pulls or snaps trees. You will see trees snapped mid-trunk, trees uprooted with root damage, trees leaning from wind force, and branches torn (not cleanly broken) with bark stripped.

Wind damage is traumatic and often affects multiple trees. Recovery is less likely than from ice damage.

Assessing Damage and Tree Health

A tree with light branch loss from ice might recover fine. A tree that lost 30% or more of its crown is severely stressed and may not survive. Arborists use the "40% rule", if a tree has lost more than 40% of its crown, recovery is unlikely.

A tree with a cracked trunk or significant root damage will not recover. These trees are hazards and should come down.

Leaning trees that developed the lean during the storm are unstable. Many will eventually fall. An assessment is needed to determine if it is safe to keep.

Insurance and Documentation

Contact your homeowner's insurance immediately if the storm caused damage to your property. Many policies cover tree removal if the tree damaged the structure, fell on the roof, or is clearly a hazard blocking utilities.

Your photos and the insurance company's assessment will determine coverage. Some insurers send an adjuster. Others ask for photos and estimates from professional removal services.

Document the damage with multiple photos from different angles. Get estimates from removal services, this documentation helps with claims.

When to Call for Professional Assessment

Call us immediately if:

• A tree is leaning after the storm
• A large tree has a cracked or split trunk
• A tree is partially uprooted or roots are exposed
• A tree or major branch is hanging over your house, vehicle, or power lines
• You are unsure whether a tree will survive the damage

Early assessment often saves time and money. A tree that will eventually fail should come down before it does so unpredictably. A tree that can recover should be pruned to support that recovery.

Professional Cleanup and Removal

Our emergency tree services are available after storms to assess damage and remove hazardous trees. We prioritize cases where trees are near structures or power lines, trees are leaning or unstable, root damage is visible, or branches are hanging and creating hazards.

Tree removal depends on tree size and location. A 25-foot tree can be removed in hours. A 100-foot oak over a house takes longer with specialized equipment. Once hazardous trees are down, we can handle stump grinding and cleanup.

What Happens Next

After professional removal, decide whether you want to replant. We offer tree planting to help you choose species suited to Arkansas conditions and proper positioning away from structures.

Live oak, hickory, and mature maples provide long-term shade and value. Properly planted and maintained, new trees recover from winter damage better than struggling older trees.

Contact Us After the Storm

Storm season brings urgent calls. We respond quickly to hazardous situations. If you are assessing damage after a winter storm, get professional eyes on your trees within 24-48 hours.

Our crew has handled hundreds of post-storm assessments and removals across the Gurdon area. We understand Arkansas weather and what trees can and cannot survive.

Phone (870) 403-6290 to report storm damage and request an emergency assessment. We have crews available and can often schedule work within a day or two.