When Ice Storms Strike: Your Essential Guide to Tree Damage Response and Emergency Services
Ice storms can transform your beautiful landscape into a dangerous obstacle course within hours. The weight of ice from a storm can cause significant property damage. Most people underestimate this risk. Your roof wasn’t designed to handle the massive weight of ice accumulation. Just one inch of ice can add over 5 pounds per square foot to your roof’s load. When these winter weather events strike Suffolk County, NY, knowing how to respond immediately can mean the difference between minor cleanup and major property damage.
Understanding Ice Storm Damage to Trees
High crown damage is a common impact of ice storms. Follow up pruning is often needed to preserve tree health. Ice accumulation creates several types of tree damage that homeowners need to recognize:
- Split Crowns: Trees with major forks in their branches are more likely to split from heavy snow or ice.
- Stobs (Broken-off Branches): These wounds expose the tree to pests and disease.
- Uprooted Roots: Visible or shifted roots mean the tree’s anchorage is compromised.
- Broken limbs that are hung up in trees are a hazard since they may fall later.
High hanging limbs or tops are especially dangerous. Old timers called these widow-makers for a reason. A limb may have been caught up in a tree for weeks or months, but it doesn’t mean it can’t come down when you least expect it.
Immediate Safety Response Steps
Your safety is the top priority when dealing with ice storm tree damage. Safety is a top concern when dealing with storm cleanup; worry about pruning or caring for damaged trees after safety issues are resolved. Follow these critical steps immediately after an ice storm:
1. Assess the Situation from a Safe Distance
Ensure your safety when assessing damage. Avoid standing directly under leaning trees or broken branches. If there’s an imminent risk to your home or driveway, call a professional arborist immediately.
2. Contact Emergency Services When Necessary
If you have a situation that needs immediate response, such as a tree on your car or your house, call your town emergency services and follow their advice. “If a broken tree or limb is located near power lines or lying on your home, don’t try to remove it yourself,” said Kevin Sayers, Urban and Community Forestry program manager with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. “Stay away from downed lines or trees or branches that are leaning on lines and call your utility company immediately.”
3. Document the Damage
Review your insurance policy; damage may be covered. Once conditions are safe, take photos or video of the damage and notify your agent before you do any work or repairs.
4. Avoid Common Mistakes
Using a broom or rake to remove ice can often cause more damage than leaving trees alone and waiting for ice and snow to melt. Gently remove small branches and debris to prevent additional stress to the tree. However, avoid shaking snow or ice off branches as this can cause more harm than good.
When to Call Professional Emergency Tree Services
While minor cleanup might be manageable for homeowners, many situations require professional intervention. Use a professional tree service if you are uncertain about doing the job yourself. Here’s when you should immediately contact emergency tree services:
- Trees or large branches touching power lines
- Trees fallen on structures, vehicles, or blocking access routes
- Large hanging branches that could fall unexpectedly
- Trees with significant structural damage or root exposure
- Any situation requiring climbing or chainsaw work above ground level
Never attempt to prune or remove limbs around utility lines. Get expert help for climbing or chainsaw work. Licensed arborists are tree care professionals trained to assess storm-damaged trees; they have the experience needed to determine how much of a tree can or should be saved.
Emergency Response Times and What to Expect
Professional emergency tree services understand the urgency of storm damage situations. We respond within 24 hours. Depending on the severity of the damage (see requirements below) we can usually be at your within an hour. Off hours will require up to 8 hours so we can call in crews and mobilize. For immediate attention, we can typically have an emergency tree removal crew to your property within 1-2 hours to cut and stabilize any storm damaged trees.
We look at the severity and potential for further damage or injury when prioritizing emergency tree services. This means the most dangerous situations receive immediate attention, while less critical damage may be scheduled for prompt but non-emergency response.
Miguel’s Tree Service: Your Suffolk County Emergency Response Partner
For Suffolk County residents, Emergency Tree Removal Suffolk County, NY services are available through Miguel’s Tree Service, a locally-owned company with deep community roots. Miguel’s Tree Service is a locally-owned and operated tree company dedicated to delivering exceptional tree care services in Suffolk County, NY. With 15 years of experience in the industry, we have earned a reputation for our expertise, professionalism, and commitment to customer satisfaction.
Tree emergencies don’t keep regular hours. Miguel’s Tree Service is ready 24/7 for urgent tree removal and storm damage cleanup in Suffolk County. The company’s commitment to the community goes beyond just emergency response. As a locally-owned and operated tree service company in Suffolk County, NY, we are committed to providing exceptional customer service and superior results. From our prompt response times to our attention to detail, we strive to exceed your expectations on every project.
Choosing the Right Emergency Tree Service
Not all tree services are equipped to handle emergency situations safely and effectively. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) is the professional association for arborists and hosts a searchable Find a Tree Care Service feature on its website. In order to be ISA certified, arborists must pass exams and receive continued training to maintain their certification. In addition to ISA certification, make sure any tree service company you use is insured.
After a big storm, homeowners may be approached by people offering to do tree work, often from outside the local area. In some cases, these doorknockers are honest folks trying to make a buck, but in other cases they may be unscrupulous individuals exploiting a homeowner’s misfortune. In either event, it’s a liability nightmare waiting to happen if the person damages your property (or your neighbor’s) and then disappears.
When hiring an arborist, always ask for proof of licensing, insurance and work references. Find more information about hiring an arborist from ISA-Michigan, Michigan’s chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Long-term Recovery and Prevention
The best time to make decisions concerning individual trees may not be in the immediate aftermath of the storm. Trees that are in poor health may be so severely weakened by the injury so as to succumb to other causes. Trees that survive the ice storm damage may be structurally compromised and so require removal for that reason, or it may develop extensive internal decay that may warrant removal at a later time.
Trees damaged by ice storms should be monitored over time to assess their progress towards recovery. Some trees that survive initially may prove vulnerable to insects or diseases later on; others may develop internal decay or otherwise become structurally unsafe.
Professional follow-up care is essential. Proper pruning and tree care can help to reduce the likelihood that broken limbs will become infected with disease pathogens that can further damage or kill the tree. Work of this type, such as restoration pruning, in most cases should be done by a licensed arborist. The Arborist Law not only keeps a person not qualified to do the work from dangerous circumstances, but also requires that the work is done by someone who has demonstrated knowledge of the latest techniques and standards in arboriculture.
Ice storms are inevitable in Suffolk County, but their impact on your property doesn’t have to be devastating. By understanding immediate response protocols, knowing when to call professionals, and working with experienced local companies like Miguel’s Tree Service, you can protect your property and ensure your family’s safety when winter weather strikes. Remember: when in doubt, prioritize safety and call the experts.