Emergency Storm Tree Removal in Buffalo, NY

Emergency storm tree removal in the Buffalo area follows the weather off Lake Erie. Some of the worst tree damage here has come from snow, not wind: the October 2006 storm dropped more than 22 inches of wet snow on trees still in full leaf, and limbs broke across the whole city in one night. The National Weather Service's records for Western New York also show leafed-out trees losing limbs to early lake-effect snow in other Novembers, and windstorms have pushed gusts past 60 mph here more than once. A tree that fails in one of those storms usually lands on something, and lifting it off is very different from cutting down a standing tree.

What to do before anyone arrives

Get people out of the rooms under the tree and away from the yard. Treat every wire on the ground or in the branches as live, even if the lights are out, and report downed lines to 911 or National Grid. If it is safe to do so from a distance, take photos of the tree, the roof and anything it hit before anything is moved; your insurer will want them. Do not try to cut a trunk that is resting on a roof or bent under tension, because the wood can spring or shift in ways that are hard to predict.

Why storm trees are dangerous to cut

A tree lying on a house is loaded in ways a standing tree is not. Parts of the trunk are in compression and others in tension, broken limbs called hangers may be caught high in the crown, and the roof itself may be holding part of the weight. Removing the tree means taking that load off in an order that keeps it from rolling, dropping or tearing further into the structure. Often the trunk is supported by rigging from another tree or lifted by a crane before the first cut is made.

How we sort storm calls

After a big storm the calls come in faster than anyone can answer them. You can call (716) 475-9224 at any hour to leave your address and what happened, and we schedule in order of danger: trees on occupied houses, trees blocking the only exit, and trees leaning on wires first, then trees on garages and cars, then trees across yards and driveways. We will tell you honestly when we can get there.

Damage that shows up later

Not all storm damage is on the ground. A limb that split but did not fall, a crack that opened at a fork, or a tree that now leans a few degrees more than it did are all worth a look in the days after a storm, before the next snow load finds the weak spot.