Storms in Atlanta, Georgia are nothing to joke about. Severe weather continually beats up trees in the city, and in some cases, they may fall.
The chance for catastrophic damage always exists when a tree falls. To avoid further loss, instances involving fallen trees need to be taken care of immediately.
In this post, we will address how to handle instances in which a tree has fallen on a house, on a car, or on power lines in the City of Atlanta.
A Fallen Tree on My House
One of the biggest nightmares for any homeowner is a tree falling through or on the home. The damages can be potentially life-threatening and catastrophic.
When an emergency such as this occurs during a Georgia storm, the following will help get you and your family on the way to getting everything back to normal:
- Firth and foremost, locate your family including your pets and get someplace safe.
- Call 9-1-1 and follow any and all instructions the operator the other line gives you.
- Cut off the electricity and turn off the mail water (this eliminates the chance of electrocution as well as a short from setting your home on fire and stops broken pipes from flooding your home.
- Call a 24-hour Emergency Tree Removal Service.
- Call your homeowner’s insurance company and be sure to follow their instructions completely.
- Make sure damages to your roof are covered up until the storm stops to prevent further flooding.
- Call a 24-hour emergency water removal business to start the cleanup process.
- Get in touch with a reputable roofing company to get the roof fixed.
For documentation and insurance purposes, it is important to take pictures of all physical damages to your property and the tree.
It is also important to have a certified plumber perform a thorough inspection of your home’s entire plumbing system. Your entire plumbing system can be affected in its entirety when a tree crashes into a home.
A fallen Tree On or Through Power Lines
Do not make contact with a tree that is in contact with power lines in any way and keep your distance. When you make contact with a tree that is in contact with a power line, you will likely be electrocuted as trees can be energized by power lines.
Report and tree on private or public property that has fallen through or into power lines by visiting Georgia Power and starting a live chat, or by calling (888) 891-0938 – press option #3 for a dangerous condition.
DO NOT exit your vehicles or attempt to move power line if a tree brings power lines down onto your vehicle while in it. From your cell phone call 9-1-1 for help and wait for help to arrive.
A Fallen Tree on My Car
When a tree falls during a Georgia storm, it does not choose where it lands. If a tree should fall on your car, consider the following:
- Contact 9-1-1 and follow any and all instructions the operator on the other line may give you.
- Contact your car insurance provider. Be sure to document everything that occurred, weather conditions, the time, and all property within the vehicle that was lost or damaged.
- Unless emergency services or your insurance provider has instructed you to do otherwise, call an emergency tree removal business to remove the tree.
Your auto insurance policy should address what is known as Force Majeure”. This term means “an act of god.” This is a clause that removes any liability for unavoidable or natural occurrences that result in loss or damages of property. For further information, contact your auto insurance provider.
Severe Weather and Trees in Georgia
During Georgia storms with high winds or when there are multiple storms in a short period of time, the ground can become saturated with can destabilize trees. It is common to see trees call during storms in Atlanta and just by understanding what to do when one may fall can be key to getting everything back to normal.
With the aforementioned information, you should be better prepared in the event a tree falls on power lines, your home, or on your car and with dealing with tree damage.
During a severe weather event, when a tree falls, it is important to immediately take action! Never take anything for granted. Trees can cause life-threatening damages and can weigh thousands of pounds when they come down. Delaying taking action can only increase any damages as well as the cost to repair them.
