What To Do If A Tree Falls On Your House

In the unfortunate event a tree falls on your house, homeowners should follow the five steps below while always prioritizing safety first.

What Should You Do If A Tree Falls On Your House?

If a tree falls onto your home, this can be quite a dangerous situation for everyone nearby. Big trees have the ability to smash windows and go through roofs, potentially causing some serious damage to the house and surrounding area. Trees of any size can bring down power lines, leading to other dangerous hazards.

High winds, floods, and other scenarios can cause a tree to fall onto a home. Use the following steps below to react properly and safely if this situation occurs.

1. Find Safety Immediately

Your first move should always be to ensure your entire family is safe. Stay away from any damaged parts of the house, even if that means evacuating the home altogether.

2. Assess The Damage Outside

After everyone and everything inside the house is safe and secure, take a detailed look at the damage outside. Turn off the main breaker in your home’s breaker box or gas line at the meter if the tree tore any power or gas lines down.

3. Document Everything

Regardless of the extent of the damage, take as many videos and pictures as you can to properly document the event.

4. Cover Any Openings

Trees can burst through roofs, ceilings, and walls. Remain cautious when trying to temporarily cover any holes that may have been created. Never attempt to go up on your roof to survey damage, though, as this task is always best left to the professionals.

5. Call The Professionals

Once the situation is under control, you should contact both your utility and insurance companies. In most cases, the utility company will come to check out the damage, and your insurance agent can advise you on how to move forward in this process.