What to do with trees after a storm in Memphis, TN
A plain guide for the first hours after wind, ice or lightning hits a tree: who to call, what to photograph, which damage cannot wait, and what you can leave alone.
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Storm damage to trees is broken, split, leaning or fallen trees and limbs after wind, ice or lightning. The first job is not the tree. It is keeping people away from the tree, the wires and anything it is resting on. Most of the rest can wait an hour or a day while you make the right calls.
In early February 2022 an ice storm took power from about 140,000 MLGW customers, and more than 60,000 were still dark days later.
What should you do first?
Get everyone, pets included, away from the damage and keep them away until you know what the tree is touching. After that, call a tree service in Memphis once the wires are dealt with.
Stay out of any room under a damaged roof. If you smell gas, leave and call from outside. Treat every downed wire as live, even if the lights are out. The ground near a wire can carry current too.
Sources: Bob Vila, what to do if a tree falls on your house, UConn StormWise, dealing with storm damaged trees.
Who do you call for a downed power line?
In Memphis, call MLGW at (901) 528-4465 for downed wires or a gas leak. MLGW asks that this line be treated like 911 and used only for those emergencies.
To report that your power is out, call (901) 544-6500. Call 911 first if anyone is hurt or something is on fire.
If a tree is lying on a wire, do not touch the tree either. Wait for the utility to make the line safe. A crew can take the tree off after that.
Sources: MLGW, storm notice with emergency and outage numbers, UConn StormWise, dealing with storm damaged trees.
Which damaged trees need a crew right away?
A tree on a building, a tree across a road or drive, hanging limbs, a split trunk, and a lean with lifted soil all need a crew soon.
1. Tree on a building
Cutting the wrong piece can drop the whole thing. See what to do when a tree fell on a house, or our emergency tree service page.
2. Hanging limbs
Broken limbs can stay caught in the crown, held by a thin strip of wood. They can fall without warning, so keep people and cars out from under them.
3. Split or leaning trunk
A split trunk or a trunk that is leaning can fail fast. Wood under tension can also spring when cut, which is why this is not a job for a homeowner with a saw.
Sources: UConn StormWise, dealing with storm damaged trees, Oklahoma State Extension, assessing and managing storm damaged trees.
What should you photograph and keep?
Take photos and video of the damage before anything is moved, then keep the written estimate and every receipt. General information only, and your policy decides what is covered.
Shoot the tree, the damage and the wider scene, from a safe distance. Keep any written estimate, since an adjuster may ask for it, and keep receipts for emergency repairs.
Call your insurer soon. One guide says insurance generally does not pay to remove a fallen tree unless it damaged a covered structure or blocked a driveway. A deductible often runs about $500 to $2,000. Ask your own company how it handles tree damage before you start repairs.
Sources: Bob Vila, what to do if a tree falls on your house.
How do you avoid storm chaser tree scams?
Run three checks before anyone starts a saw: get the estimate in writing, do not pay the full amount up front, and look up who they are.
Written estimate
Get it in writing from more than one company. Walk away from anyone who will not.
Payment
Be careful with demands for full or large payment up front, and with cash-only deals. Use a method you can trace, such as a credit card.
Who they are
Door-to-door offers and pressure to sign now are red flags. Check references and reviews, and ask for proof of insurance that covers tree work.
Our guide on how to hire a tree service goes deeper on all of this.
Sources: Tennessee Attorney General, tree trimming and removal scams.
What if the tree is on the house?
Get everyone out, stay out until the damage is checked, and call for help instead of cutting. The full guide has more.
Leave if you smell gas, and call 911 from a safe distance. Plan to stay elsewhere until the structure is checked. Do not cut the tree yourself, since that can put a claim at risk.
Read the full steps in a tree fell on a house.
Sources: Bob Vila, what to do if a tree falls on your house.
What do ice storms do to Memphis trees?
Ice breaks brittle, weak-wooded and broad-crowned trees first, and trees that keep their leaves or needles carry the heaviest load.
Trees that break first
A Tennessee report from January 2026 named Bradford pears, silver maples, elms, river birch, sycamores, Virginia pines and evergreens in general as most at risk. Evergreens hold their foliage, so more ice builds up on them.
Trees that hold up better
The same report says oaks, hickories, walnuts and sweetgums are highly resistant to ice damage. Even these can come down if disease or decay has weakened them.
Sources: WSMV, trees most likely to fall in a Tennessee ice storm.
Should you cut anything down right after an ice storm?
No, unless the tree is an immediate danger. Trees that are not a short-term hazard can wait.
Do not knock the ice off with a pole or a broom. Frozen branches are brittle and break easily.
Remove or secure what is dangerous now: limbs hanging over the house, driveway or street, lodged limbs, and any tree leaning toward a building. Topping weakens a tree and sends up weak regrowth that breaks in the next storm.
Sources: Caring for trees damaged by ice, guide hosted by the University of Kentucky, Oklahoma State Extension, assessing and managing storm damaged trees.
What about a tree hit by lightning?
Stay away from it, look for splits and stripped bark, and expect that the tree may decline days later.
Lightning can blow a strip of bark off, leave deep vertical cracks, or split the trunk. It can also harm the water and sap flow in parts you cannot see, so a tree may look fine at first and then wilt and brown days later.
Trees with deep cracks or large wounds can lose strength and fail over time,. Wait several weeks before pruning or removing a tree that is not an immediate danger, so hidden damage shows up in the crown.
Sources: Alabama Extension, caring for lightning struck trees.
When can a storm damaged tree be saved?
A tree can often be saved when most of its crown is intact, the trunk is sound and the main leader is whole. If more than half the crown is damaged, survival is unlikely.
Oklahoma State Extension says the odds are small past 50 percent crown damage. Another ice guide says up to a quarter lost has little effect, and a quarter to half will likely survive.
For lightning, bark loss around a third or more of the trunk, a split trunk, or a crack at least a third as wide as the trunk all point toward removal. For help telling a recoverable tree from a lost one, ask for an arborist visit. Our dead tree signs page also helps.
Sources: Oklahoma State Extension, assessing and managing storm damaged trees, Caring for trees damaged by ice, guide hosted by the University of Kentucky, Alabama Extension, caring for lightning struck trees.
How do you get ready before the next storm?
Have a trained eye look over your trees now, since ice and wind often expose weaknesses a tree already had.
Walk your yard and look for dead or hanging branches, cracks, and trees leaning over the house, the drive or the street. In dry spells, water your shade trees.
Have the hazards pruned or taken down on a calm day. See our tree trimming in Memphis page for how that works, and save the phone numbers above where you can find them in the dark.
Sources: Oklahoma State Extension, assessing and managing storm damaged trees, Caring for trees damaged by ice, guide hosted by the University of Kentucky, WSMV, trees most likely to fall in a Tennessee ice storm.
Questions about trees after a storm
What should I do first after a storm damages a tree?
Get everyone away from the damage. Stay far back from any downed wire and treat it as live. Report wires to the power company, take photos from a safe spot, then call a tree crew.
Who do I call for a downed power line in Memphis?
Call MLGW at (901) 528-4465. MLGW says to use that number like 911, for downed wires or gas leaks only. To report a power outage, call (901) 544-6500. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or there is fire.
How do I spot a storm chaser tree scam?
Watch for door-to-door offers, pressure to sign now, full payment demanded up front, cash-only deals and no written estimate.
Can a tree hit by lightning be saved?
Sometimes. Splits, deep cracks and bark missing around a third or more of the trunk point toward removal. Small scars may be worth watching, and lightning damage can show up days later.
Tree damaged in a storm?
Call for a free estimate. The phone is answered 7 days a week.