Emergency Storm Tree Service in Worcester, MA

Emergency storm tree service in Worcester usually follows one of three kinds of weather: ice, heavy wet snow, or a summer thunderstorm. The December 2008 ice storm damaged about 30,000 of the city's street trees and tens of thousands of park trees, according to the Urban Forest Master Plan, and left parts of Massachusetts without power for up to two weeks. Nor'easters drop wet snow on trees that may still hold leaves in October or April, and the city's 1953 tornado remains the deadliest in New England. When a tree comes down on a house, the job is to make it safe first and tidy second.

First, the wires

If a tree or limb is touching a wire, treat the wire as live, keep everyone away and call National Grid. Tree companies should not cut near energized lines; National Grid's own guidance says work near overhead lines should be done by people trained to recognize electrical hazards. Once the line is clear, the rest of the tree can be removed.

Then, in order of danger

After a big storm, calls are handled in a rough order: a tree through a roof or blocking the only exit, then trees on vehicles or leaning against a house, then trees blocking driveways, and finally trees down in the yard. Call (508) 731-3691 any time to leave details and photos; it helps us plan the equipment and the order. A tree resting on a roof is often removed in small pieces from above, with each piece lifted or lowered off the house so the roof is not loaded further.

Hangers, splits and leaners

Not all storm damage is on the ground. A broken limb caught high in the crown can drop days later. A trunk that split at a fork may look stable until the next wind. A tree that tipped in saturated soil, with roots lifted on one side, can keep going. These are the cases worth a call even when nothing has fallen yet.

Insurance and paperwork

Homeowners insurance policies differ on whether they pay to remove a fallen tree, often depending on whether it hit a covered structure. Take photos before any cleanup, keep the written quote and invoice, and call your insurer early. We give you an itemized written quote you can send them.

Wood after a storm

Storm wood in Worcester is still subject to the beetle quarantine. Brush and logs stay on site or go where the quote says, not out of the zone.