A Tree Came Down: What to Do in the First Hour on Grand Island and in Niagara Falls

When a tree comes down in Niagara Falls, the first hour matters. Ice storms, lake-effect snow loads and wind funnelling along the gorge and the lake all take down limbs every year, and the neighborhoods with big old maples and oaks over narrow lots, like Hyde Park, the Pine Avenue area and the streets off Portage Road, see more than their share. Here is what to do, in order.

1. Get everyone safe first

• Get people and pets out of any room or area the tree is leaning on or touching. A tree that has landed can shift.
• Do not go under hung-up limbs (branches caught in the crown or resting on the roof). They can drop without warning.
• If anyone is hurt or there is fire or structural damage, call 911 before anything else.

2. Treat every downed line as live

If a tree is on or near a power line, a service drop to the house, or you can see sagging or sparking wires, stay at least 30 feet back and keep others away. Call 911 and your electric utility (National Grid in most of Niagara and Erie counties). Do not touch the tree, a wet fence or anything else the tree is touching.

This matters for us too: a professional crew cannot cut a tree that is tangled in an energized line until the utility has made it safe. Once the utility clears the line, we can come and cut it.

3. Protect the property, but do not play arborist

Homeowners often get hurt trying to cut a tree that is under tension or sitting on a roof. A tree on a structure is loaded: the weight can swing or snap when a cut is made. Leave the cutting to a crew that has the climbing gear, rigging and saws to take it down in controlled sections.

• Photograph the tree and the damage from a safe distance before anything is moved. You will want this for an insurance claim.
• If the roof is open to rain or snow, a temporary cover can wait for a roofer. Do not climb up to do it.
• Move vehicles that are clear of the tree out of reach of other limbs.

4. Call an emergency tree crew

Call us on (716) 599-8733 and tell us three things: the address, what the tree is on (house, car, driveway, fence, line) and whether anyone is at risk. We run an emergency line around the clock, and trees on houses, cars and roads go to the front of the queue. We will tell you honestly how soon we can be there.

Read more about how we handle storm damage on our 24/7 emergency tree service page.

5. Who is responsible for the tree?

• A tree on your own lot is yours to deal with, even if a neighbor’s tree fell onto your property.
• Trees in the public right-of-way (often the strip between the sidewalk and the curb) are generally the city’s. If a street tree has come down, report it to the city.
• Insurance: many homeowner policies cover damage to a house or other structure from a fallen tree, and often the cost of removing it from the structure. Policies differ, so check yours. Keep the photos and the invoice.

What the work actually looks like

A typical emergency call has three parts. First, making it safe: securing the tree, protecting what is underneath, and clearing any access. Second, cutting and removing the tree in sections. Third, a follow-up for cleanup, stump grinding and anything else you want done once the emergency is over. We quote a clear number before we start, including after hours.

Reduce the odds of a next time

Most storm failures are not a surprise. Look for deadwood in the crown, split or co-dominant trunks, fungus at the base, heaving soil or a lean that is new. A pruning visit or a planned removal of a bad tree costs far less than a failure. If you have an ash that is thinning, assume it is emerald ash borer and get it looked at, because dead ash gets brittle fast.

See everything we do in Niagara Falls, or call (716) 599-8733 for a free quote.