7 Steps to Take When a Tree Falls on Your House (with Pictures)

A 45-minute August storm wreaked havoc on my village. My daughter called me at work to inform me that a large tree branch and fallen and hit the house! That was unsettling. The first thing I did of course, was ensure that, she was okay. Thankfully she was fine, except for being a little shaken from the loud impact.

Thank goodness we have these heavy-duty storm screens over the windows. Otherwise, the branch very likely could have broken a window. We are so lucky. My daughter keeps telling me how much she appreciates how this place is built like a fortress.

I have these old Silver Leaf Maple trees surrounding the house. They are awful. They are fragile trees. They grow quickly, produce slender, weak limbs that aren’t always able to support the weight of the leaves and branches attached to them or the snow and ice that land on them. For this reason, its highly recommended that owners invest in a chainsaw, due to the frequency of fallen branches.

As you can see from the pictures above, that's a very large branch. Should you ever encounter an impact of this magnitude, please do the following:

1. Evacuate the House. Get everyone out of the house safely.

2. Notify Emergency Services, and the authorities and explain the situation to them.

3. Be extremely careful of potential powerlines which may have fallen in the path of a fallen tree (or branch).

4. Survey the house to prevent further damage. Once any immediate danger is mitigated, take inventory of the impact. Take pictures. Secure your property.

5. Contact Your Insurance Company.

6. *Because my branch fell on the powerlines, the electric company removed the branch off of their equipment. They then cut it apart with their chainsaw and moved the debris to the side of the driveway.

7. Find a Tree Removal Service. Or cut the branches down yourself and stack them on the curb for the village or city to remove them.

After the electric company deposited the remnants of the monster branch on the side of the driveway, I cut the branches down smaller by myself. It took me 4 1/2 hours. Not fun, but necessary. By the end of job, I had 4 large piles of wood and branches out on the curb for pickup.

Task Reminder:

1. Ask for help

2. Wear work gloves

3. Wear closed toes shoes and proper clothing

4. Wear safety glasses

5. Use the right tool for the job

6. Be smart when lifting and moving heavy objects

   1. Ensure your intended path is clear of obstructions

   2. Wear back brace for support to lift heavy objects

   3. Lift with your legs, not your back

   4. Make sure your feet are firmly planted shoulder width apart, with one foot slightly forward.

   5. Squat, and with a firm grip, lift slowly. Do not lift leaning forward.

   6. Hold the object close to your body. Don't lift a heavy object above your shoulders.

   7. Use your feet (not your body) to determine direction

   8. Squat with your knees and hips to set the object down

7. Don't rush. Take your time.

The life of a homeowner is always full of surprises. Sometimes it can be a fun adventure, but sometimes it can be a lesson in resilience.

This incident tested me. A renter can just call maintenance, but a homeowner has to deal with things on their own. I have to say, I had to chalk this up to my mom's favorite saying, "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." Amen.