A couple of summers ago, my family was planning a vacation to Texas for a wedding. Flights were booked, hotel rooms blocked, and all of our bags were backed. The morning we planned on leaving for the airport, we got a call from my sister that a tree had fallen onto her house. It had stormed the night before and they were awoken by the slamming of a tree crashing onto their roof. If you don’t want something like this to happen to you and your home, there are many things you can do to prevent property damage from trees.

According to The Voss Law Firm, one main thing you can do is prune your trees regularly. This means that you should trim them regularly and make sure loose or dead branches are removed. They also mention looking the trees over for damage. Here are a few red flags to look for:

• Hollow or decayed
• Crossing branches
• Cracks in the trunk
• Any limbs that touch power lines
• Low hanging branches, especially near the roof
• Trees that lean

If any of these red flags apply to your trees, it is in your best interest to contact the professionals – such as a tree removal company – to take a look at the trees and advise if they need removed or not.

Below are some additional articles advising how to prevent property damage from trees and what to do if damage does occur.

“Essential Tree Pruning Tips to Prevent Property Damage”

“A Tree Fell on My House, What Now?”

Another good thing to know…generally speaking, if your property is damaged, you are responsible for the damages. It doesn’t matter if the tree or limb came from your property or someone else’s property. This is because a windstorm is an act of nature, it is no one’s fault. You will want to confirm you have insurance coverage to protect yourself from unforeseen losses such as this.

How do the trees on your property look? Are you covered? Talk to your independent agent today!

The information above is of a general nature and your policy and coverages provided may differ from the examples provided. Please read your policy in its entirety to determine your actual coverage available.

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