Storm Cleanup in Marietta, GA

What emergency storm service covers

Storm work is different from a scheduled removal. The tree is already down, or partway down, and it is often resting on something it should not be. Emergency storm work handles the immediate danger first: getting a tree off a roof or vehicle, clearing a trunk blocking your driveway or street, removing limbs hung up in other branches, and dealing with trees leaning on a fence or deck. Where a roof is open to the sky, ask the tree service to tarp it so the next round of rain does not finish what the tree started.

Documentation matters as much as the saw. Photograph the damage from several angles before anything is moved, and ask the tree service to photograph and write up its work as it goes. That record is what your insurance adjuster will want to see.

The first hour after a tree comes down

Safety first, then the lines, then the paperwork.

• Get everyone out of the damaged rooms. If anyone is hurt, or a power line is down or touching the tree, call 911 first and keep people and pets well back.
• Treat every downed line as live. Georgia Power's advice is to assume a downed line is live and life-threatening and never try to remove limbs from it. Report it to Georgia Power at 1-888-891-0938, or to police or fire, to have it barricaded. Inside Marietta Power's service area, its power emergency number is 770-794-5160. Cobb EMC members can report it to Cobb EMC at 770-429-2100.
• Do not climb on the roof or cut a loaded tree yourself. A trunk resting on a house is loaded, and it can shift when it is cut.
• Take photos before anything moves, then call your insurance company and report the claim.
• Call us, and we connect you with a local tree service. Tell them if the tree is on an occupied home or blocking a vehicle in, and ask how soon they can come out.

Why storms drop so many trees here

North metro Atlanta gets hit from several directions: summer thunderstorms, the remnants of tropical systems, and winter ice. Cobb EMC notes that ice can weigh branches down onto lines and that thunderstorms and heavy rain bring down limbs and whole trees.

Two recent storms show what that looks like. On September 11, 2017, Irma brought sustained winds of 30 to 45 mph and gusts of 50 to 65 mph across the National Weather Service's Atlanta area; many trees fell onto homes and businesses, about 1.5 million Georgia customers lost power, and at least two people in north Georgia were killed by falling trees. In September 2024, Helene dropped 6 to 14 inches of rain across north and central Georgia, with some of the highest totals in metro Atlanta, and the Weather Service reported millions of trees down and numerous structures damaged, mostly by falling trees.

The trees that fail are often ones that were already in trouble. The Georgia Forestry Commission says lightning-struck and storm-damaged pines are especially vulnerable to bark beetles and should be removed promptly, which is why a pine that took a hit in this storm is worth a look before the next one.

How a storm call runs

Who pays for what after a storm?

Your insurer pays when the tree hit an insured structure. Most other cleanup is yours. Here is how the Insurance Information Institute describes a standard homeowners policy:

• Tree on the house or another insured structure (like a detached garage): the policy covers the damage to the structure and its contents, and removing the tree, generally up to about $500 to $1,000 depending on the insurer and policy.
• Tree that fell and hit nothing: generally no coverage for removing it, though some insurers pay if it blocks a driveway or a ramp built for a wheelchair.
• A neighbor's tree on your house: you claim on your own policy no matter who owned the tree; your insurer may then go after the neighbor's insurer.
• A tree that was dying or neglected: poor maintenance is not covered.

Utilities fix the wires, not the yard. Georgia Power's tree FAQ says that after a storm, vegetation debris cleanup is the property owner's responsibility. The City of Marietta will not pick up any part of a tree that a tree company cuts down. And burning is out: Cobb, Fulton, and DeKalb are on Georgia EPD's lists where storm debris cannot be burned at any time of year. So the quote should say who hauls the wood.

Watch out for door-to-door storm offers

After a big storm, people knock on doors offering quick, cheap tree work. The International Society of Arboriculture's advice is to be wary of door-to-door bargains, ask for proof of insurance and call the insurance company to confirm it, check the arborist's credential with ISA's Verify a Credential tool on TreesAreGood.org, and get the work in writing. If an uninsured crew drops a limb through your roof, that can become your problem. Our tree removal in Marietta page has the full hiring checklist, and if a tree is leaning but still standing, read tree leaning after a storm.

Storm cleanup questions