Emergency Storm Tree Service in Saint Paul, MN

Emergency storm tree service is about doing things in the right order. After a summer thunderstorm or a heavy wet snow in Saint Paul, the first questions are whether anyone is hurt, whether a power line is involved and whether the tree is resting on the house. Once a line is cleared and the immediate danger is dealt with, the tree comes off the roof or out of the driveway, hanging limbs are brought down, and only then does the rest of the cleanup begin. Call (651) 374-8562 any time to leave details; storm calls are worked in order of danger, with trees on roofs and blocked exits first.

Power lines first

If a tree or limb is touching a wire, or a wire is down, stay away from it and anything it touches and call 911. Saint Paul's storm guidance says the same. Report outages to Xcel Energy at 800-895-1999. No tree work happens near an energized line; once Xcel has made it safe, we can deal with the tree.

What storms do to Saint Paul trees

Thunderstorms with straight-line winds cause most of the summer damage. Storms on June 21 and 22, 2013 brought down or damaged more than 500 public trees in Saint Paul, plus many on private lots. In the colder months it is weight: the Twin Cities average about 51 inches of snow, and an early snow in fall can land on trees that have not yet dropped their leaves. The trees that fail tend to be the same ones every time: dead or dying ash, silver maples with long limbs and tight forks, old spruce with weakened roots, and trees with decay at the base.

Public trees and private trees

Saint Paul Forestry handles downed and damaged trees on boulevards and in parks, starting with life-threatening situations and major streets, then residential streets and alleys. For a boulevard tree blocking a road after hours, the city lists 651-266-9700. Trees and debris on private property are the owner's responsibility, and the city does not collect private storm debris unless the Mayor declares an emergency and issues special instructions after an unusually large storm.

Hangers and split trunks

A broken limb hung up in the canopy, often called a hanger, can fall without warning hours or days after the storm. A trunk split down a fork may look stable but is under tension. Neither is a ladder-and-chainsaw job for a homeowner. These are rigged and lowered in a controlled way, and sometimes a crane is the safest way to lift a tree off a house without causing more damage.

Insurance and paperwork

If a tree has damaged your house, garage or car, call your insurer early. Take photos before anything is moved if it is safe to do so. We can give you a written, itemized estimate for the tree work that separates the emergency removal from cleanup and stump work, which makes it easier to see what your policy may cover.

After the emergency

Once the danger is gone, there is usually no need to rush the rest. Logs and brush can wait a few days. We will look at the trees that survived, too: a storm often reveals weak limbs or root damage on a neighboring tree that is better dealt with before the next one.