1. Safety first — keep your distance
Treat hanging branches, split trunks and leaning trees as unstable until a qualified arborist has assessed them. Wind can load tension wood in ways that are not obvious from the ground — cutting or pulling without rigging has caused serious injuries.
Keep people and vehicles away from the fall zone and any lines the tree may contact. If utility cables are involved, stay well back and contact the network operator — do not attempt to clear around live lines yourself.
2. Document the damage
Photograph the tree, the failure point and any property damage from several angles, with something for scale if possible. Note the date and approximate time of the storm. These records help insurers, loss adjusters and council tree officers if a TPO tree is involved.
- Wide shots of the tree and garden
- Close-ups of tears, splits and uprooted root plates
- Damage to fences, roofs or vehicles if applicable
- Council TPO reference if the tree is protected
3. Insurance and neighbours
Check your buildings and contents policy — tree failure onto structures is often claimable, but pure garden tree work may not be. Report promptly if a claim is likely; insurers may appoint their own contractor, or allow you to instruct one with agreed rates.
If the tree is on a boundary, speak to the neighbour before major work — ownership and liability can be shared. We can attend jointly and provide a single written specification.
4. Protected trees after storms
Emergency works to make a protected tree safe may be exempt from waiting for full consent, but you must notify the council as soon as practicable. Read our TPO homeowner guide for the full process.
We photograph exempt work on site and send specifications to the tree officer so your records stay straight.
5. What we do on an emergency visit
We stabilise or remove immediate hazards first — often using rigging, sectional dismantling or mobile elevated work platforms depending on access. Smaller storm clean-up may be a half-day; multi-tree failures on commercial sites can run longer.
Green waste is removed unless you want chip for beds. If the plot needs resetting, we can combine clearance with site clearance in the same programme.
6. After the emergency — longer-term care
Remaining stems may need target pruning, bracing or monitoring. Some species respond well after crown reduction; others with root plate failure should be removed. We will recommend retrenchment pruning only where it is arboriculturally sound — not as a default after every storm.
Book routine inspections on veteran or high-value trees before the next season — particularly after a dry summer followed by wet autumn winds, which is a common failure pattern in Essex clay soils.
Common questions
We prioritise dangerous situations and will give you a realistic arrival window when you call. Demand is high region-wide after major storms.
