Between lake-effect wind, ice storms, and the occasional summer microburst, Buffalo trees take a beating. When a storm drops a limb on your roof — or a whole tree across the driveway — what you do in the first hour matters for your safety, your insurance claim, and your wallet. Here's the playbook.
Step 1: Stay away from wires. All of them.
If the tree or limb is touching a power line — or even near one — stop. Assume every line is live, including the ones that look like cable or phone. Don't touch the tree, a fence it's leaning on, or standing water near it. Call NYSEG / National Grid and keep everyone (kids, pets, helpful neighbors) well back. No tree job is worth electrocution.
Step 2: Get people out from under it
A "hung" limb caught in the canopy or a trunk cracked but still standing is more dangerous than one already on the ground — the load can release without warning. Rope off or simply avoid the area under any damaged wood. If part of the tree is on your house, stay out of the rooms directly beneath it until it's been assessed.
Step 3: Photograph everything before anything moves
Before any cleanup — yours or ours — walk the perimeter and take photos and video from multiple angles:
- The tree and where it came from (the failed trunk, the tipped root plate)
- Every point of contact with structures: roof, gutters, siding, fence, vehicles
- Wide shots that show the whole scene, plus close-ups of damage
Your insurance adjuster will want this documentation, and it can only be captured before the wood is moved.
Step 4: Call your insurer — and know what's typically covered
Most homeowner policies cover tree removal when the tree damaged a covered structure, and many contribute toward debris removal. Coverage varies, so call your carrier early, get a claim number, and ask what documentation they need. We provide itemized invoices that adjusters can work with directly.
Step 5: Don't ladder-and-chainsaw it yourself
Storm wood is loaded wood — bent limbs store spring tension that can kick a saw back, and partially failed trunks shift as weight comes off them. Nationwide, a large share of chainsaw injuries happen during post-storm cleanup by homeowners. Ground-level brush is one thing; anything overhead, under tension, or touching a structure is professional work with rigging, not a ladder job.
Step 6: Call for an assessment — 24/7
Our emergency crew answers around the clock, every day of the year. We'll secure the immediate hazard, tarp-ready the roof access if needed, and handle the full removal and cleanup — and for trees that were damaged but are still standing, we'll tell you honestly whether cabling, restorative pruning, or removal is the right call. (Not sure what shape your tree is in? See the 8 warning signs of a failing tree.)
The best storm response starts before the storm
Nearly every emergency call we run traces back to a defect that was visible beforehand — deadwood, a cracked union, a lean that got worse. A pre-season inspection and trimming visit costs a fraction of an emergency removal and a roof repair.
Storm damage right now? Call (716) 442-8733 — 24/7, every day. For a non-emergency assessment, request your free estimate below.
