What to Do After Storm Damage to a Tree

Storms can cause anything from minor branch loss to complete tree failure. The priority immediately after storm damage is always safety, for you, your family, and anyone who might pass nearby. Here's a step-by-step guide to what to do.

Step 1: Stay Clear

Don't approach a fallen or partially fallen tree until you've assessed the situation from a distance. Storm-damaged trees can be unpredictable: branches under tension can spring back, and trees that appear stable may shift. If a tree has fallen onto power lines, treat the lines as live and stay at least 10 metres away. Call your electricity distributor (not your supplier) immediately.

Step 2: Is It an Immediate Danger?

Ask yourself: is the tree or branch posing an immediate risk to people or property? If a tree has fallen onto a car, building, or is blocking a road, or is hanging precariously and could fall onto a path, it's an emergency and you should call us immediately. We respond to emergency callouts across Kent and South East London.

If the damage is significant but not immediately dangerous (a large split in the canopy, major branch loss, partial uprooting) the tree still needs assessing promptly but not necessarily the same day.

Step 3: Document the Damage

Before anything is moved or removed, photograph everything. Take pictures from multiple angles: the whole tree, the damage, anything it has fallen onto. This is important for insurance purposes and for demonstrating that the tree was in reasonable condition before the storm (which matters for liability).

Step 4: Understand Your Insurance Position

Storm damage to trees is covered under most home and property insurance policies, but the detail matters:

• If a tree from your garden falls onto your own property (house, fence, car), your home insurance should cover the damage to the structure, though the cost of removing the tree may or may not be included.
• If a tree from your garden falls onto a neighbour's property, your neighbour's insurance typically covers the damage to their property. You're generally not liable unless you knew about a defect in the tree and failed to act.
• If a neighbour's tree falls onto your property, the same logic applies: your own insurance covers your damage. The neighbour is only liable if they were negligent.
• Keep all receipts and get written quotes from any contractors you use: your insurer will need these.

Step 5: Get the Tree Assessed

Even if the immediate danger has passed, a storm-damaged tree needs professional assessment. Storm damage often reveals or accelerates underlying structural defects (splits, cavities, root damage) that may not have been visible before.

Our arborists will assess the structural integrity of the damaged tree and advise on the options, from making safe and monitoring, through to removal where the tree cannot be stabilised.

TPOs and Storm Damage

If a TPO'd tree is damaged in a storm, you can carry out emergency work to make it safe without prior consent, but you must notify the council as soon as reasonably practicable (usually within 5 days), in writing, with reasons for the work. Keep records and photographs as evidence. We can advise on this process.