Emergency Tree Removal: Who to Call at 2 AM in Tyler?
It’s 2:00 AM. A severe thunderstorm is hammering Smith County. You hear a loud CRACK followed by a shake that rattles your whole house.
A pine tree is on your roof. Rain is pouring into your living room.
Panic sets in. Who do you call? The fire department? The insurance agent? A tree guy?
Here is your game plan for a tree emergency in Tyler.
1. Assessing the Danger (Stop and Look)
Before you go outside, turn on the porch light and look through a window.
- Power Lines: Is the tree touching a line? If yes, stay inside and call Oncor (1-888-313-4747). Do not let anyone near that tree until Oncor confirms the power is cut.
- Structure: Is the house groaning? If the tree has crushed a load-bearing wall, evacuate the family to a neighbor's house or car.
2. Who to Call First?
- Life Safety: If someone is trapped or there is a fire, call 911.
- The Tree Service: Call a dedicated 24/7 Emergency Tree Service (like us at 903-282-4323).
- Why? Regular landscapers don't answer the phone at 2 AM. And they definitely don't have the cranes and lighting towers needed to work in the dark and rain.
3. What Can Be Done at Night?
Realistically, we cannot fully remove a massive tree in the pitch black during a lightning storm. It’s too dangerous. The Night Phase is for Stabilization:
- Tarping: We climb up and secure heavy-duty tarps over the holes to stop water damage.
- Clearing Access: We cut enough of the tree to unblock your driveway so you can get cars out or emergency vehicles in.
- Support: We might use ropes to stabilize the tree so it doesn't slide further.
The full removal usually happens at first light when it’s safer.
4. The Insurance Question
"Will insurance pay for the emergency call?" Almost always. Insurance companies want to minimize damage. Paying us to tarp the roof tonight saves them paying for a ruined hardwood floor tomorrow.
- We take photos. We document everything for your claim.
- Don't pay cash. We can often bill the insurance portion directly or provide an invoice that gets reimbursed.
5. Why Price Should Not Be Your First Question
In an emergency, you are paying for speed and risk. Removing a wet, slippery pine tree off a crushed roof at night is the most dangerous job in our industry.
- Cheap guys will damage your roof further or get hurt (and sue you).
- Pros use cranes to lift the tree up and off, causing zero additional damage.
Save Our Number. You don't want to be Googling when the power is out. Tyler Tree Service Emergency Line: (903) 282-4323