Sacramento's storm season runs from roughly November through March, and while we don't get the hurricanes or tornadoes that batter other parts of the country, our atmospheric river events can dump several inches of rain in 24 hours and push sustained winds above 40 mph. That combination — saturated soil and strong winds — is exactly what topples trees and snaps major limbs. If you've woken up to storm damage on your property, here's how to handle it safely and protect both your family and your insurance claim.
Step One: Stay Back and Assess from a Distance
The first thing we tell every customer after a storm: before you walk out there, look. From a safe distance — from a second-floor window if needed — take stock of what you're dealing with. What you're looking for is anything that creates immediate danger before you set foot near the trees.
The single most dangerous post-storm hazard is downed power lines. If a tree or branch has pulled down a utility wire of any kind, assume it is live and stay far away — at least 30 feet. Call 911 and PG&E immediately. A downed line can energize the ground around it, meaning you can be injured or killed without touching the wire directly. This is not something a tree service can safely address until the utility company has cleared the scene.
The second hazard is what arborists call "widow makers" — broken branches still hanging in the canopy, partially connected, and liable to fall with the next gust of wind or even just from the vibration of a vehicle driving past. These hanging limbs are deceptively dangerous because they look stable but aren't. Keep everyone out from under any tree with visible hanging damage until a professional has cleared it.
Step Two: Document Everything Before Cleanup
Once you've confirmed there are no immediate life-safety hazards — no downed lines, no imminent structural collapse — your next priority is documentation. This matters enormously for your insurance claim.
Walk your property and photograph everything. Photograph each damaged tree from multiple angles. Photograph any property damage — fencing, roofing, vehicles, outbuildings — that was caused by fallen trees or branches. If a tree has damaged your home, photograph the interior damage as well if it's safe to access. Get wide shots that show context (what tree came from where) and close-up shots that show the actual damage.
Most homeowner's insurance policies cover damage to structures caused by fallen trees, but they generally don't cover the cost of removing a tree that fell and didn't hit anything. The documentation you create in the first hours after a storm can make or break a claim dispute later. If a branch punched through your fence, photograph that branch still in the fence before anything is moved.
Note the date and time of the photos, and if you have weather data showing storm conditions — local news reports, weather app screenshots — save those too. Insurance adjusters appreciate evidence that the damage was clearly event-driven rather than the result of neglected pre-existing conditions.
When to Call for Emergency Service vs. When You Can Wait
Not all storm damage requires an emergency call-out. Understanding which situations are genuinely urgent will help you set realistic expectations and prioritize resources after a storm that may have affected your entire neighborhood.
Call for emergency service immediately if: A tree or major limb has landed on your house, garage, or vehicle; hanging limbs are positioned over a doorway, walkway, or area where people regularly pass; a tree has partially uprooted and is leaning against a structure; or the damage is blocking access to emergency routes. These are situations where delay creates additional risk. TreeMax maintains availability for storm emergency calls throughout the Sacramento region — we know that after a big atmospheric river event, the phones ring fast.
You can typically schedule non-emergency service if: Branches fell into your yard but away from structures and people; a smaller ornamental tree went down in an open area; the damage is purely aesthetic (broken limbs that didn't fall on anything); or the affected tree is in a back corner of the property where no one will be walking. In these cases, securing the area and scheduling service within a few days is completely appropriate.
What a Professional Storm Response Looks Like
When our crew arrives after storm damage, the first thing we do is a hazard walk. Before any chainsaws come out, we identify all hanging limbs, assess the structural integrity of damaged trees, look for root disturbance, and establish a drop zone. Safety rigging comes out for anything near structures — we're not going to just cut a branch and hope for the best over a roof.
For trees that suffered partial damage — say, one major scaffold limb failed but the rest of the tree looks sound — we assess whether the remaining structure is still viable. A properly executed remedial prune can often save a tree that looked hopeless after a storm. Other times, the damage reveals a pre-existing defect (included bark, internal decay) that was the real reason the branch failed, and that tells us the tree needs further attention even after the visible damage is cleaned up.
We also provide detailed written documentation of the work performed, which can support your insurance claim. If your insurer needs an arborist's assessment of what caused the failure or what the tree's condition was before the storm, we can provide that.
After the Cleanup: Evaluating What Remains
One of the most important — and most overlooked — steps after storm cleanup is evaluating the trees that were damaged but not removed. A tree that lost a major limb now has a large wound that needs to be checked over subsequent seasons. It may have also shifted structurally in ways that aren't immediately obvious. Scheduling a follow-up assessment six to twelve months after a major storm event is good practice, particularly for larger trees near your home.
Sacramento's wet season tends to concentrate our storm calls between late November and early February. If your property has trees with any known concerns — a lean, previous decay work, proximity to structures — getting a preemptive assessment before the rainy season begins each fall is the most cost-effective thing you can do. It's far less expensive to identify and address a risky tree on your schedule than to deal with emergency storm response after it falls.