Storms, heavy rain, high wind, and lightning can cause the accident of a fallen tree on your property. Hopefully, you do not have to face such critical problems in your property, but it’s better to know what will happen if any such problems occur.
If the tree is rotten or dead, it is right to cut it down before it causes any type of damage in your property. A tree falling is a scary situation, and you do not want to go through with that without knowledge.
Evacuate Home Safely And Securely
In case a tree falls, you have to make sure of your safety. Make sure you and your family get out of your house to a safer distance. If the tree did major damage to the house you live in, it might take a while to repair. You might not be able to live there. It’ll take time. Be sure the doors and windows are locked down. To secure all the valuable items of your home, move them somewhere else.
Safety comes first before anything, so be sure your all family members are safe, then do the rest. To avoid any panic attack, you can practice with your family members what to do if any accidents happen during a storm. A tree slamming into your house is a scary scenario. You have to prepare them in advance. They will then know where to exit safely and quickly. Having an emergency medkit in the house is mandatory if you want to avoid or cure any injuries. Whether it is a fallen tree or a broken roof, make contact with the professionals to fix the damage.
Call 911 and Electrical Companies
If a tree falls in your property, there might be chances to have a power outage. This could create a high risk of fire or deadly electrical shock.
From outside, if you see the power line trapped with the tree, but there is no power outage, then make sure you shut off the breaker box. This way, you can minimize the risk.
Don’t try to deal with the fallen tree on your own. Do not try to attempt climbing on the rooftop to deal with the tree, especially in thunderstorms. Working on a rooftop during a storm is risky, even for experts. Storm winds are strong, and your rooftop will be slippery due to rain. That fallen tree might have been struck by lightning, so do not climb on the rooftop on your own.
You have to evacuate your family from the house to a safer place and call the authorities and emergency services. Tell them about the damage, and they will advise you what you should do. They might send you fire service and local law enforcement to ensure your property is safe.
Prevent Immediate Damage
A tree fall incident can happen anywhere around your house. It can cause a minor to major damage to the roofs or anything hit by the fallen tree. In the worst-case scenario, it can damage gas lines. So it is best to keep the gas lines off. It may save you from any dangerous gas leakage.
If the tree caused damage to any windows, call a reputable contractor. The contractor will gather the broken window glasses or board them up. Beware of sharp glasses, because they may be lying around the floor. Roof tarping is for the professionals to do.
Contact Insurance Company
There are insurances that can help you get to recover from the storm debris and the expenses of damages that have occurred. But if your yard’s tree was rotten or dead and you are aware of the consequences of it, but still you didn’t take any steps, then the insurance company might not help out the homeowner due to the negligence. However, if a healthy tree knocks out, then homeowner insurance might be able to cover all the expenses of property damage.
Once you are done with complaining about your damage to your insurance company, they will advise you regarding what you should do next. They may recommend an expert roofer to quickly cover any damaged area that might take any critical damage to your home.
For evidence, take photos or videos from different angles, and make sure to cover every side. Try to capture close and long shots. Try to get an indoor and outdoor look when the danger has gone— document details of structural damage, electrical damage, broken windows, and damaged rooftop. When you have collected all the evidence, it’s time to claim your insurance. Many insurance companies allow you to upload pictures in their web system so that they can take steps immediately to recover your loss.
Does the tree’s original location matter?
If your neighbor’s tree falls in your garden because of a thunderstorm, your insurance company should cover the damage of your property. But if the tree fell because it was rotten or dead, then you should file a case against your neighbor; because of their negligence, your property got major damage. It is hard to prove that your neighbor is responsible for the damage. So, you need documented proof that you already had asked them to remove the dead tree before it falls in your garden.
Similarly, if your garden’s tree falls and damages your neighbor’s house, they also need to have documented proof to file a case of your negligence of removing a dead tree.
Even if your neighbor’s tree falls in your garden, but no structural damage was done, then you will have to pay your own money to remove debris. If the damage was caused by a natural disaster or created by outside people outside of your house or car crash, then your homeowner’s insurance should cover your damage.
What will happen if a damaged tree falls on your car?
Suppose a damaged or a rotten tree falls in your property due to natural disasters or caused by people’s negligence and causes damage to your car. In this case, homeowner’s insurance might not cover your car’s damage. So, you need to file a claim to your car insurance provider to get coverage of your damage.
I am sorry if a tree causes damage to your property, but I hope you have the coverage from your insurance company. If you want to know about insurance and policy, contact your agent and make an appointment to review your coverage limits. Read more: How to Sharpen a Chainsaw.