Storm Took Down a Tree? What to Do Next

A north Atlanta thunderstorm can take down a 30-year-old oak in twenty seconds. What you do in the first day after that, before the cleanup, before the stump grind, before the insurance call, sets the tone for everything that follows.

Here's the playbook for a storm-felled tree on your property, from the moment the wind dies down through the final clean yard.

Step 1: Secure the area first

Before anyone touches the tree, walk the perimeter and look for three things: downed power lines, fuel or gas smells, and people or pets near the fallen wood. If any are present, stay back and call 911 or Georgia Power (888-891-0938) first.

A tree leaning on a power line is not a stump-grinding job. It's a utility job. We arrive after the utility crew clears the line, and that distinction can save lives.

Once the area is safe, take photos. A lot of photos. Wide shots, close-ups, the angle of the fall, the damage to the structure, the root ball if it's exposed. Your insurance company will want these.

Step 2: Call your insurance carrier within 24 hours

Most homeowner's policies cover storm tree damage if the tree fell during a covered weather event (wind, ice, lightning). The coverage typically includes:

• Removal of the tree from the structure
• Repair of the structure
• Tree disposal, sometimes capped at $500–$1,000

What's NOT typically covered:

• A healthy tree that fell on the lawn but didn't hit a structure
• Stump grinding (this is almost always out-of-pocket)
• Landscape replacement (sod, plants, mulch beds destroyed by the tree)

File the claim within the carrier's required window, usually 24 to 72 hours for storm damage in Georgia. Save every receipt for cleanup work; some carriers reimburse a portion even when stump grinding isn't itemized.

Step 3: Have the tree removed (then call for the stump)

Tree removal, felling, sectioning, hauling, is arborist work. Stump grinding is a separate trade, and it happens after the tree is down and the trunk and large limbs are cleared.

Once the tree is removed, the leftover stump is what we handle. We grind it 4–8 inches below grade with a track-mounted grinder that fits through a standard 36-inch gate. Most residential stumps take 25–60 minutes once we're set up. After grinding, the chips can be backfilled into the hole and raked smooth, or hauled away as part of debris removal.

For a storm event, we respond as fast as we can safely reach the area. Real emergencies are same-day when conditions allow. Otherwise, 1–2 days out across all 18 north Atlanta cities.

Step 4: Don't wait on the stump

A storm-felled tree leaves a fresh stump, often with the root ball partially exposed. There are three reasons to grind it sooner rather than later:

• Safety. A partially uprooted stump is a tripping hazard, a lawn-mower hazard, and a soft spot in your yard where water collects and soil settles unevenly.
• Pests. North Atlanta humidity accelerates fresh-stump decay. Within weeks, termites, carpenter ants, and beetle larvae move in. If the stump is within 30 feet of your house, those pests are now 30 feet from your house too.
• Regrowth. Many hardwoods, especially oaks and sweetgums, send up sucker shoots from the root system if the stump is left alone. Once the suckers establish, removal gets harder.

Step 5: Plan the full cleanup as one job

The best post-storm cleanup is a single coordinated visit: stump ground below grade, debris hauled out clean, surrounding area raked smooth. Bundling those services keeps the property from looking torn up for weeks and gets your yard back to neutral fast.

If you've got a downed tree, fresh stump, and a pile of branches: call (770) 309-1050. We come out for a free in-person quote, usually within a day or two, and tell you exactly what the job will take.