NYC Parks fields more than 100,000 forestry service requests a year, and over the past six years the city has logged upward of 200,000 reports for damaged trees alone. When the big storm hits, that volume would all of a sudden hit you and with the backlog the agency already has, a tree falling on your property in NYC is not something that the city will quickly take down. The first hour is up to you and it is more important than most homeowners may think. With the density of housing, shared property lines, and the utility lines that crisscross the city, a tree that has fallen in NYC is hardly likely to remain in one yard. The following steps outline in specific order what to do to ensure your safety, to prevent damage to your neighbours’ property, and to safeguard your insurance claim.
Step 1: Confirm Everyone’s Safety First
First, make sure that everyone on the property is safe and has no injuries. When the tree was blown over during the storm, power lines can be entangled in the branches even if not readily visible, so assume the tree is “live” until a power company representative says otherwise. Do keep children, pets and neighbors well away from the area.
If anyone is injured or trapped, call 911 immediately, before taking any of the following steps.
Step 2: Keep Your Distance and Assess From Afar
After everyone is satisfied it is safe, don’t go and check out the tree. Just after a tree falls is a time of great instability, particularly if the tree has not fully come down or is leaning on a building, fire escape, or fence because the weight may suddenly move. Take a close-up picture of the damage using the zoom on your phone, don’t go into close proximity.
Step 3: Report Downed Power Lines Call 911, Then Con Edison
If the tree is in contact with power lines, or is leaning against them, assume all lines to be charged, and don’t go closer than 30 feet from the tree. To report electrical hazards, call 911 first and then Con Edison at 1-800-752-6633 (1-800-75-CONED), the same 24/7 number used to report downed wires and outages in the five boroughs. Do not attempt to move branches by yourself or with tools in the vicinity of any line, even if the tree does not appear dangerous while lying on top of the line. NYC’s narrow blocks can result in the loss or compromise of multiple properties if a line goes down, and if you report it quickly, you will keep more than just your own home safe.
Step 4: Check for Gas Leaks and Structural Damage
If it has hit your house or building, look for gas odor, possibly indicative of a ruptured gas line. Avoid turning on lights or using a telephone inside first if you sense gas, get out quickly and call 911 or Con Edison’s emergency line (1-800-752-6633) from outside the building. Check for roof penetration, cracked facade walls, foundation walls, or support beams as this could indicate that it is unsafe to enter the property’s interior until inspected by a professional.
Step 5: Document Everything Before Cleanup Starts
If you have detailed records since the beginning, insurance claims will go through faster and there is less likelihood of an insurance denial. Take photos of the tree from several angles, including all damaged areas, and any secondary issues such as blocked access, broken fence or debris on a common driveway or sidewalk. Record the date, time and weather conditions at which the tree fell (insurers determine if a covered event, such as wind or a storm, caused the tree to fall, and the National Weather Service records are one way to support your claim if it is ever challenged).
Step 6: Report It to 311 if Public Property or a Street Tree Is Involved
In NYC, ownership is an important fact and it determines who is responsible for the removal. Street trees (those in the sidewalk strip between the curb and your property line) and those that grow on city property are under the jurisdiction of NYC Parks and the city will also remove a city-owned tree or branch that falls on private property. The City will not remove a tree that is completely on private property.
In addition to your own property, if the fallen tree was a street tree protected by the city, is blocking a public sidewalk or street, or is leaning on a house, report it to 311 (online, phone or the 311 app). Please report the location, size of the tree, if it is blocking a road or not and if it is split but still standing, and if it is uprooted or leaning. NYC Parks ranks storm hazards by risk –downed trees blocking streets or landed on homes are at the top of the list, so the more accurate the details are, the more accurately your report is ranked. You will receive a tracking number to check on later.
Step 7: Contact Your Homeowners or Renters Insurance and Know the Limits
Tree removal is covered in most NYC homeowners and renters policies if the tree falls due to a covered peril (wind, storm, lightning, hail) and causes damage to a covered structure, such as your home, garage, shed or fence. Report the incident as soon as possible as many insurance companies have specific time limits to file an incident.
The part homeowners are most often surprised by is the amount to actually remove the tree is often another sub-limit of the home limit, commonly $500-$1000 per incident under a standard home policy, even if the structural damages are covered under their full dwelling limit. If you have a large tree to remove off the house, this is commonly more than that, and you will have to pay the extra amount if you don’t have an extra endorsement for debris removal. Here are a couple of additional things to know:
- If the tree fell in your yard without hitting a structure, standard policies generally won’t pay to remove it at all with one common exception: if it’s blocking your driveway or an accessibility ramp, the same limited removal coverage may apply.
- If your insurer can show negligence, such as ignoring a clearly dead or rotting tree, the claim can be denied. Documenting that the tree looked healthy before the storm helps.
- A car crushed by the tree is not a homeowners claim. That goes through the comprehensive portion of your auto insurance instead.
Step 8: Call a Professional Tree Removal Service
After you have determined that it is safe and notified your insurance provider, schedule a professional team to remove it. Fallen trees are heavier and much less predictable than they may seem, especially when supported by tension from a building, fence or other tree, which is often the case with the proximity of structures throughout the city. Such conditions are one of the most common ways of causing any second injury after a storm as a tree under tension can violently snap back if it is not being cut properly.
In addition, if a tree is between two buildings on a tight lot in NYC, it may be necessary to remove just the part that needs to be cut down right away, but keep the rest of the tree secured for a future time, which a professional crew will know how to do safely. It should be noted that if any portion of the work is on a city street tree, a tree-work permit from NYC Parks will be required before a private contractor can even cut, and they will not skip a permit!
Step 9: Address the Stump and Root Damage
Many NYC properties are left with a stump and disturbed root system after the fallen tree is cleared. Uprooted stumps are an annoyance to future landscapers and paving projects and, if large, will leave a hole or depression that should be filled in and graded to avoid water collection and stagnation. (If the stump is from a City-owned street tree, stump removal falls to NYC Parks but the city carries a long stump backlog, so it can be a slow wait.)
What Not to Do After a Tree Falls
Do NOT climb the fallen tree or go around it to inspect it; the weight distribution of a fallen tree can be unstable even when it appears to be settled. Do not try to use the chainsaw to cut branches unless they are professionally trained, especially in the area where there is a branch that is under visible tension or bent out of shape. Do not park vehicles or allow people to walk under remaining canopy or limbs on a partially downed tree as secondary limb failures can easily occur in the hours and days following the initial failure. Also, don’t presume that a tree that missed your building is not worth saving a fallen tree may have damage to underground utility lines depending on how its root plate came up.
Why Fast, Professional Response Matters in NYC
NYC’s dense mix of rowhouses, brownstones, and shared lot lines means a fallen tree rarely affects just one property. Moreover, the city prioritizes storm work by hazard level, and maintains a real backlog of work, so your tree may be waiting longer if it is not deemed to be a high priority hazard. Quick, professional response protects more than your own home, and it cuts the risk of a secondary incident while the tree sits unresolved.
When a tree is down on your NYC property, a quick response crew that can take care of both the emergency tree removal and any subsequent work is time and risk saving in every way. The Tree Army helps New York City property owners safely handle the first steps of the emergency tree removal process and take care of all aspects of the process.