Storm Tree Checklist – Document a Storm-Damaged Tree

A one-page record to fill in before you call anyone. It helps you notice what actually matters after a storm, gives an arborist what they need for a fast first read, and gives you a dated record if an insurer asks what you saw and when.

Print this page Get seasonal storm notes

1. The tree and where it is

• Tree (species if you know it, or "big oak by the driveway"): ______________________
• Location on the property: ______________________
• Approximate height / trunk size at chest height: ______________________

2. What changed, and when

• Date and rough time of the storm: ______________________
• When you first noticed the damage: ______________________
• What changed (tick all that apply):
  • ☐ Limbs broken and on the ground
  • ☐ Limbs broken but still hanging in the tree
  • ☐ A visible split or crack in the trunk or a main stem
  • ☐ Top or a main leader lost
  • ☐ Tree leaning when it did not before, or leaning more than before
  • ☐ Whole tree down

3. Split or crack

• Where is it? ☐ Trunk ☐ Where two stems join ☐ A large limb ☐ Base of the tree
• Can you see into it? ☐ Yes ☐ No   Is it still opening / getting longer? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure
• Is there dark, soft, or hollow wood inside the break? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Can't tell

4. Roots and the ground

Look at the ground on the side opposite the lean.

• ☐ Soil lifted or cracked at the base   ☐ Roots newly exposed   ☐ A gap opening between trunk and soil   ☐ None of these
• Has the lean changed since you first looked? ☐ Yes ☐ No ☐ Not sure — compare with a photo or a fixed object like a fence post

5. What it could hit (targets)

• Under or within reach of the damaged part: ☐ House ☐ Garage / shed ☐ Vehicle ☐ Driveway or road ☐ Fence ☐ Play area ☐ Neighbor's property ☐ Open ground
• Power or utility lines within reach: ☐ Yes ☐ No — if yes, do not approach; treat the line as live

6. Access and immediate danger

• ☐ The tree or debris is blocking a driveway, door, or road
• ☐ Something is resting on a structure or vehicle
• ☐ Something is hung up in another tree or under tension
• ☐ People or pets are using the area under it
• Your honest read right now: ☐ Looks stable for the moment ☐ Something appears to be moving or actively failing ☐ Can't tell

7. Photos to take (from a safe distance)

1. Whole tree, top to bottom, from two sides
2. The damage up close, with something for scale (a boot, a tape measure)
3. The base of the trunk and the ground around it, all sides
4. Anything the tree is touching or leaning toward
5. A wider shot showing the tree and the house / structure together

Date-stamped photos before any cutting are worth keeping regardless of what happens next.

8. Next step

• ☐ Something is actively failing or on a structure → call now: (256) 792-8733
• ☐ Damaged but stable → send a storm request with photos
• ☐ Not sure the tree has to go → request an on-site assessment
• ☐ Outside North Alabama → Tree Risk Snapshot (photo-based remote read)

Prepared by Jeremy VanMaanen, professional arborist and Certified Alabama Urban Forester, Heritage Arborist, Arab, Alabama. Documentation aid only — not a tree-risk assessment.