Storm & Tornado Tree Prep: A Greater Birmingham Homeowner's Checklist
Severe weather season in Alabama peaks in spring and fall, and in Greater Birmingham we see tornado warnings and damaging straight-line winds nearly every year. Most of the property damage we see afterward isn't from the storm itself — it's from trees that should have been addressed weeks earlier.
Walk the perimeter first
Start by walking the property line. Any tree within reach of your house, garage, fence, or power lines is a tree that needs a closer look before storm season.
Look up before you look down
The biggest hazard in an Alabama storm isn't usually the whole tree falling — it's a single large limb breaking off. Look for:
- Dead branches still attached in the canopy ("widowmakers")
- Limbs hanging directly over your roof
- Co-dominant trunks with a tight V-shaped union (these split)
- Heavy one-sided branching
Schedule pruning early
Once a severe weather watch is issued, every tree service in Alabama is booked solid. The window to safely prune, cable, or remove a problem tree is late winter through early spring. Don't wait.
Know what's on your insurance policy
Most homeowner policies cover removal of a tree that falls on a structure — but not removal of trees that fall in the yard. Knowing this in advance saves a lot of arguing later.
Save our number now
If a tree comes down on your property during a storm, you want our number already in your phone: (205) 834-6173. We run 24/7 emergency dispatch year-round for Pinson, Birmingham, Trussville, and Jefferson, Shelby, St. Clair, and Blount counties.
Final tip: document your trees today
Walk the property with your phone and take a few photos of every major tree. If a storm hits, those photos are gold for your insurance claim.
Want us to do the walkthrough for you? We do free on-site storm assessments. Call (205) 834-6173.