Look from a safe position: recognising a warning sign is not the same as declaring a tree safe.
Tell Craig about changes since the storm, not just the angle the trunk stands at.
Changes that need attention now
A trunk leaning differently after strong wind is more concerning than one that has grown at an angle for years. Look for lifted ground or a fresh crack in the soil along one side of the base. These changes can indicate movement around the roots. Do not walk closer to inspect the other side or push the trunk to see how firmly it is held.
Check what you can see above you without standing beneath the crown. A fork split open, a large limb partly torn away or a broken branch suspended in the canopy can fall without another gust. These hanging limbs are sometimes called hangers. A tree propped against another tree, a roof or a fence has not necessarily finished falling: the support beneath it may give way too.
What may be suitable for a normal visit
An established lean that has not altered, scattered small twigs or minor surface bark damage does not by itself mean the whole tree needs emergency removal. If you cannot tell whether something has changed, describe the uncertainty rather than assuming everything is sound.
Where there are no urgent warning signs, arrange an assessment through tree surgery. Mention any older photographs showing the tree's usual position. They can help explain your concern, but neither a photograph nor a quiet spell of weather proves that a damaged tree is safe.
Keep the area clear before doing anything else
Move people and pets away and keep cars out of the affected space. Do not move a vehicle if reaching it means passing beneath damaged wood. Avoid climbing, pulling a suspended limb with a rope or cutting timber under tension. A branch or trunk that looks still can spring or roll when its support is disturbed.
For overhead cables, stay back and contact the electricity network operator first. Where life or a public road is at immediate risk, call the emergency services before arranging private tree work. For garden storm damage, fallen limbs or blocked private access, the emergency tree works page gives Craig's 24/7 contact details. Say what the tree is touching and whether anyone can safely get past.
If the tree is already on the ground
A trunk across your drive may prevent access while its remaining branches still need assessing. On neighbouring land, contact the owner and explain what you can see from your property; do not enter their garden or start cutting their tree yourself.
For a tree across a public road, contact the emergency services where there is danger rather than attempting to open the road yourself. Take photographs only from somewhere safe, for your own records and any discussion with your insurer. Check your own policy and ask the insurer what information they need; this guide cannot decide cover or who is responsible for a claim.
Deciding what happens after the danger is dealt with
Damage does not automatically mean felling. Once the immediate hazard has been addressed, the remaining tree can be assessed to decide whether pruning and crown work can retain it. Where removal is needed, tree removal and felling explains straight felling where space allows and dismantling in sections where it does not.
Stump removal covers grinding or digging out, depending on access and the intended use of the ground. If the fall damaged a boundary, fencing can be discussed after the tree work. Explain all the affected areas when discussing follow-up work.
Protection still matters after bad weather
A storm is not a blanket exemption from Tree Preservation Orders or conservation-area controls. Urgent work needed to remove an immediate danger is treated differently, but that does not automatically authorise wider pruning or removal. Contact your council about the tree's protection and the work proposed, keeping a record of the damage where it is safe to do so. Our protected-tree guide explains the checks; do not delay contacting the emergency services where someone is in danger.
An ash with existing dieback needs particular care
Dead ash branches affected by dieback become brittle. Wind damage on an already thinning ash therefore needs more than a look at the fallen twigs. Tell Craig if the crown was declining before the storm or larger branches were already bare. Read ash dieback signs and safety for the disease background, and contact Craig for an assessment of the actual tree.
