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Emergency & Storm Tree Removal in Tallahassee

A tree on the roof, a trunk across the driveway, a limb hanging over the bedroom. Here is what to do in the first hour, what to leave to the power company, and how to get a crew out.

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Free, no-obligation estimate from a local tree service.

Large tree uprooted by a storm lying across a residential yard

The first hour

Safety first, then photos, then the crew

Get people and pets out of the affected rooms and away from the tree. A tree that has already hit a house can shift again as the wood settles or the wind picks up.
Look for wires before you go near it. If a tree is touching, pulling on or lying near any line, treat the line as live. Stay well back and keep others away.
Report downed or sagging lines to your electric provider. City of Tallahassee Utilities lists 850-891-4968 (24/7) and talgov.com/outage for outages and downed lines. If you’re a Talquin Electric customer, contact Talquin. Tree crews should not work on a tree in contact with energized lines until the utility has made it safe.
Photograph everything before anything is moved: the tree, the point of impact, interior damage and any leaks. Insurers usually want this.
Call your insurance company to open a claim and ask what they need from the tree service (often an itemized invoice and photos).
Request an emergency removal. Use the quote form and say clearly that the tree is on a structure, a vehicle or blocking access.

Don’t climb onto the roof or start cutting yourself. A trunk resting on a house is often loaded like a spring. Cutting it in the wrong place can drop it further into the structure or kick the saw back at you. Removing a tree from a roof is crane or rigging work.

If a tree pulled the wire off your house

According to City of Tallahassee Utilities, the City handles its service wire and meter. Damage to the weatherhead, mast or meter box on your house has to be repaired by your own licensed electrician, and Growth Management (850-891-1800) inspects it before power is reconnected.

Source: City of Tallahassee, Power Restoration

Why this matters here

Tallahassee’s recent storm record

Storm tree work isn’t a rare event in Leon County. In the last few years:

May 10, 2024 tornadoes

The National Weather Service confirmed two EF-2 tornadoes with peak winds around 115 mph tracking through Tallahassee, plus an EF-1 near Woodville. Trees were snapped across many neighborhoods, and NWS said the damage to the power grid matched or exceeded Hermine, Michael and Idalia combined.

Hurricane Helene, Sept 2024

At the peak, about 53,000 City of Tallahassee Utilities customers and roughly 35,000 Talquin Electric customers in Leon County were without power. Officials estimated 100,000–125,000 cubic yards of debris.

Hurricane Idalia, Aug 2023

About 54,000 Leon County residents, around 35%, lost power, and debris blocked county roads, I-10 and US 319.

Sources: NWS Tallahassee, May 10, 2024 tornadoes; NWS Helene impact narrative; NWS Idalia impact narrative.

What the job involves

How storm-damaged trees are removed

Trees on a roof or structure

The crew usually takes the weight off in stages: rigging or a crane lifts sections of the trunk and canopy away from the house rather than letting them drop. Once the load is off, the roof can be tarped. Expect this to cost considerably more than a standing removal of the same tree, because of the equipment and risk.

Hangers and split trunks

Broken limbs caught high in the canopy (“hangers”) and trunks split down the middle are among the most dangerous things after a storm. They can drop without warning, so keep foot traffic away from under them until they’ve been brought down.

Uprooted and leaning trees

A tree that has partially uprooted, with the root plate lifted and the soil cracked, rarely recovers and can finish falling in the next wind. It is usually removed rather than pulled back upright.

Pines after a storm

Storm-stressed pines can attract Ips engraver beetles, mostly in the first year after a storm, according to UF/IFAS. Pitch tubes on the bark are a sign of an active attack. Removal decisions should be based on the risk of the tree falling. UF/IFAS source.

Questions

Emergency tree removal FAQ

Will homeowners insurance pay to remove a fallen tree?

It depends on your policy and what the tree hit. Policies commonly cover removal when a tree damages a covered structure, and often less (or nothing) when a tree falls in the yard without hitting anything. Call your insurer before work starts and ask what documentation they need.

Do I need a permit to remove a storm-damaged tree?

Clearing a tree that’s already down is a different situation from cutting a healthy standing tree, but the rules for very large or protected standing trees still matter. Leon County says a tree documented by a Certified Arborist as a safety hazard can be removed without a permit, and Florida Statute 163.045 covers documented hazard trees on single-family homes. See the permit guide.

How fast can someone come out?

That depends on the crew’s schedule and how widespread the storm was. After a major storm, every tree service in town gets slammed, and trees on houses and blocking access usually get priority. Say clearly in your request if a tree is on a structure, a vehicle or blocking your only way out.

Is storm removal more expensive than normal removal?

Usually, yes. A tree lying on a roof needs more rigging, more time and sometimes a crane, and the work is riskier. A clean, written estimate that separates removal, hauling and stump grinding makes it easier to deal with your insurer.

What about the stump and the hole left by an uprooted tree?

An uprooted tree leaves a root plate and a crater. Ask whether the quote includes cutting the root plate, back-filling or stump grinding.

Can I prevent this next time?

Not every failure can be prevented, but removing dead wood and limbs over the roof, and having an older laurel or water oak checked before hurricane season, lowers the odds. See tree trimming & hazard pruning.

Tree down or about to come down?

Send the details and photos through the quote form and mark it urgent. If any power line is involved, report it to your electric provider first.

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