Tree Fell on Your Roof, What Do You Do?

Tree fell on your roof? As if waking up in the middle of the night to a tree crashing onto your roof wasn’t already bad enough, the grueling cleanup process and hours spent on the phone are sure to make it even worse. If you’re ever stuck dealing with such a situation, you’ll need to know what to do in order to make the restoration process a much smoother one. Are you not exactly sure where you’ll need to begin? Not to worry! Keep reading to find out what crucial steps that need to be taken after a tree has fallen on your roof.  

1. Evacuate Your Home and Call 911

First and foremost, your own safety is truly what matters following such an unfortunate event. Even if it appears that it’s safe to continue using the other rooms in your home, don’t! There’s always the possibility that your roof could collapse under the immense weight and structural damage that you aren’t aware of. There may even be powerlines that were brought down by the tree that you didn’t realize, putting your family in serious danger. So get you and your family out of the house and call 911 immediately. Emergency personnel will send out a fire team and a utility representative to assess the damage. Make sure this is the first step you take if a tree fell on your roof. 

2. Take Lots of Pictures

This may be the last thing on your mind, but it’s crucial that you document everything. Take pictures of the damage from different angles both inside and outside of your home. This will not only help you keep track of what all needs to be repaired, but will also come in handy when filing an insurance claim. This will help you cover all of your bases with your insurance company and minimize any frustration for you later on down the road.

3. Call Your Insurance Company

After you  ensure everyone’s safety and have taken the necessary steps to document the damage, it will be time to contact your insurance company. Give them a call and let them know what happened. They will then likely assign an adjuster to your case who will visit your home and assess the damage for themselves. In a lot of cases, they can have someone stopping by that same day, even within just a few hours after the incident had occurred. 

4. Contact a Restoration Company

Once you’ve got the all-clear from your insurance company, it will be time to start the restoration process. And there’s no need to go through it alone because it can already be a frustrating one! Contact a professional restoration company who will be able to help you with every step of the way, from tearing out the damaged materials to rebuilding and repairing your home.

5. Lock Up and Secure Your Belongings

The restoration process isn’t going to be finished in a single day. Your family may be asked to stay elsewhere until the project is complete. In the meantime, make sure that all of your doors and windows are locked so that you keep your belongings secure. The last thing that you need is an intruder showing up because they’ve been given the perfect opportunity. 

While a tree might have fell on your roof and it is certainly a nightmare scenario, it doesn’t have to completely ruin your life. By following these steps, you can rest assured knowing that you’re taking the best possible course of action for yourself and your family. Just remember to stay calm and patient in the meantime.  Get in touch with First Response today, so we can help fix your tree issues.