We caution you; reading this post may change the way you look at trees, at least the ones that surround your house. We have all seen it, trees swaying back and forth, to-and-fro dancing violently with the strong autumn winds. You hear the whistling of the strong gusts and see branches flailing like the air propelled sales tubes seen at car dealerships.
You rub your hands together and head to the kitchen to make a warm cup of coffee and say to your wife “It looks like it is going to be a cold one this year.” She chuckles and agrees as you reach the coffee pot, and that is when you both hear it. A loud and ominous crack followed by a screeching and continued crackling sounds.
Then it happens, the loudest smash you have ever heard followed by a shockwave that rattles your entire home. The heavy rains start you hear thunder and massive downpour. After you and your wife collect yourselves and the heart starts pumping again you both make your way toward the living room. As you both approach you can immediately see that something is terribly wrong, and you can hear rain inside the home.
Then you see it, a massive tree resting across the living room ceiling with two huge branches protruding downward, and a steady stream of water gushing in through the whole. Panic sets in and you both scramble to find towels and buckets to stop the water from wreaking havoc to all your belongings and the home itself. This is what happens when trees attack or to use industry jargon, when you suffer a tree strike.
We have seen many homes damaged by trees, some smashing through roofs, though front windows and even detached garages. The damage from this type of loss can sometimes require just as much restoration as a house fire. There are a few things that should be done immediately after a tree attacks your home. The first thing is turn off the power at the circuit breaker to all rooms that have been affected. Then contact your insurance company to file a claim so they can get you a claim number which you can use to hire contractors.
Then contact a local contractor who can coordinate the subs needed to remove the tree, tarp and board up the roof and start the mitigation process. This is a scary time and not one that is on many people’s radar until it happens. We at Tersuli Construction Services recommend that you periodically have an arborist check on trees on your property that are within range of falling on your home. We don’t want you to be suspicious of all trees, but awareness and precaution are always a good idea.
