Storm Damage & Emergency Tree Response
When a tree comes down on a roof, a driveway, or a fence line, waiting isn't really an option. Storm and hazard calls jump the line — Kerry answers his own phone and most emergency jobs get a same-day response.
Call Now — Storm ResponseWhat happens when you call
- Priority same-day response for trees on structures, vehicles, or driveways
- Careful removal around downed or exposed power lines — coordinated with the utility company when needed
- Temporary tarping guidance and debris clearing to secure the property fast
- Insurance-friendly documentation and photos if you need them for a claim
- Available after hours for genuine emergencies — call and ask
Why storm-damaged trees can't just wait
A tree that's already down on a roof, a driveway, or a car is the obvious emergency. The less obvious one is a tree that's still standing but structurally compromised — and those are often the more dangerous of the two, because nothing about them looks urgent from the ground:
- A "hung" top or broken limb caught in the canopy above — still supported for now, but ready to drop without warning
- A trunk or major limb split partway through, holding tension like a loaded spring until the wrong cut — or the next gust — releases it
- A root plate partially lifted out of the ground (windthrow), which can let a tree that's still standing finish falling hours or days later
- A lean that looks stable but has actually shifted, especially on saturated ground after heavy rain
There's also a documentation clock running. Insurers want to see damage close to when it happened, and leaving a hazard tree standing "to deal with later" often means dealing with a second failure — onto whatever the first one missed.
How an emergency call actually gets handled
Phone triage first
Kerry asks what's down, what it's touching — a structure, a vehicle, a power line — and whether anyone's in immediate danger, before anything else.
Priority dispatch
Hazard calls jump ahead of routine, scheduled work. Most genuine emergencies get looked at the same day.
On-site hazard assessment
Before any cut, Kerry checks for hung limbs, tension in a split trunk, and root plate movement — the hazards that aren't obvious from the driveway.
Coordinate with the utility company if a line's involved
Any tree touching a power line gets confirmed safe by the utility before Kerry works near it directly.
Neutralize the hazard, then finish the job
The most dangerous piece — the hung limb, the leaning trunk — comes down first under controlled rigging, then the rest of the removal and full cleanup follows.
Document for your insurance
Photos before and during the work, so you have what's needed to support a claim if you file one.
Why storm work is a climbing job first
Storm-damaged trees store energy in ways a healthy tree doesn't. A split trunk can hold real tension, ready to snap shut or kick sideways the moment the wrong cut releases it. A limb hung up in the canopy above — sometimes called a widowmaker for good reason — has no visible support and can fall the instant something below it is disturbed. Cutting into either one from the ground, underneath the load, is one of the most dangerous positions in all of tree work. A climbing arborist can get above and alongside the hazard instead of underneath it, read how the wood is loaded, and make a controlled release cut with rigging already in place to manage what happens next.
Access compounds the problem after a real storm. Narrow gravel drives around Roan Mountain and Mountain City can be blocked by debris or simply too tight for a bucket truck to get in at all, right when speed matters most. Climbing means Kerry can get to the hazard on foot with rope and rigging gear even when equipment can't reach the property yet.
Tree trimmers and pruners already face a fatal injury rate around 110 per 100,000 full-time workers — comparable to logging and roughly 30 times the all-industry average, per industry analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Storm and hazard work sits at the sharper end of that risk, since the tree itself is already unstable before the first cut. It's exactly the scenario ANSI Z133 safety training and real climbing experience are built to handle — and exactly why this isn't work to hand to an unqualified crew with a chainsaw and a truck.
Emergency response across the region
Storm and hazard calls take priority over routine work, wherever they come from in the service area.
- Hampton
- Johnson City
- Elizabethton
- Roan Mountain
- Mountain City
- Bristol
- Erwin
- Jonesborough
- Kingsport
Storm & emergency response questions
Is emergency response more expensive than a scheduled job?
There's no inflated 'storm surcharge' — pricing reflects the actual job, same as any removal or trimming quote. What changes in an emergency is how fast Kerry gets there, not what he charges to show up.
What should I do while I'm waiting for you to arrive?
Keep everyone — people and pets — away from the tree and any debris, especially if it's touching or near a power line. Don't attempt to cut anything yourself, and don't assume a leaning or partially fallen tree has finished moving. If a line is involved, call the utility company directly in addition to us.
Will you work with my insurance company?
Yes. Kerry documents the damage with photos before and during the work and can provide what most insurers ask for to support a claim. Coverage details are between you and your insurer, but the documentation side is covered.
What if the tree is touching a power line?
That gets coordinated with the utility company before any cutting starts near the line itself. Kerry can still handle the tree work, but a live or even de-energized line needs to be confirmed safe by the utility first — that's not a corner worth cutting.
Do you actually answer after hours for a real emergency?
For a genuine hazard — a tree on a structure, blocking the only way out of a driveway, or down across a road — yes, call and ask. Routine work waits for business hours, but a real emergency doesn't get put off until Monday.