By Tim Benton, Louisiana Licensed Arborist | Last Updated: July 27, 2026
A tree just fell on your New Orleans home, and right now the most useful thing anyone can tell you is: slow down, breathe, and work through this in order. Every year our crews get calls in the middle of a storm from homeowners in Uptown, Mid-City, Gentilly, and Lakeview asking the exact same question — what do I do first? Here is the order that keeps people safe, protects your insurance claim, and gets your home handled correctly from the first hour through the final cleanup.
Step 1: Get Everyone to Safety and Call 911 If Anyone Is Hurt or Trapped
If anyone inside the home is injured, or the tree has broken through a roof or wall in a way that traps someone, call 911 first. Everything else in this guide can wait. If the house is structurally unsafe, get everyone outside and keep a safe distance until a professional confirms it is stable.
Step 2: Never Touch a Downed Power Line — Call Entergy New Orleans Immediately
This is the step that gets skipped and it is the one that kills people. In New Orleans, Entergy’s overhead lines run through the same live oak and pecan canopies that fall in storms, and a downed limb can energize a fence, a puddle, or the tree itself without any visible spark. Treat every line as live. Call 911 for the immediate hazard, then report the outage directly to Entergy New Orleans at 1-800-968-8243.
Step 3: Check for Gas Leaks and Water Intrusion
If you smell gas, leave the house and call from a safe distance. If the tree has opened the roof, cover the hole with a tarp once it’s safe — New Orleans humidity turns a small breach into mold damage within 24 to 48 hours.
Step 4: Document Everything Before Anyone Touches the Tree
Photograph and video the damage from multiple angles: the tree itself, the point of impact, the surrounding yard, and any interior damage. This documentation is the backbone of your insurance claim, and it matters more in Louisiana than in most states because adjusters here handle a heavy volume of storm claims every hurricane season.
Step 5: Understand How Your Louisiana Homeowners Policy Actually Handles This
Most standard homeowners policies cover tree removal when the tree falls on a covered structure as a result of wind, a named storm, or another covered peril. The detail that catches Louisiana homeowners off guard: many policies here carry a separate named-storm or hurricane deductible, often 2% to 5% of your dwelling coverage rather than your standard flat deductible. Call your insurance company and ask directly whether a hurricane deductible applies to your situation.
Step 6: Call a Licensed, Insured New Orleans Tree Service
A tree resting on a roofline is under tension in ways that make chainsaw work genuinely dangerous. Benton Tree Service has handled storm-damaged trees across New Orleans for more than 19 years, including major response after Katrina, Ida, and Hurricane Francine. If the situation is actively dangerous, call our 24/7 emergency tree service line directly. For trees that are down but stable, our standard tree removal service can usually get a crew out within a day or two.
Step 7: What Happens During a Storm-Damaged Tree Removal
A professional crew will assess load and tension before cutting anything, often removing the tree in sections to control exactly where the weight goes. Expect the crew to protect your roof, gutters, and landscaping, and to leave a clean yard rather than a pile of logs.
Step 8: Handling What’s Left — Stumps, Storm-Stressed Trees, and Prevention
An ugly stump left in the yard can attract termites and become a tripping hazard — our stump grinding service clears it completely. If other trees on the property looked stressed even before the storm, it’s worth having them assessed. Our tree and plant health care service covers post-storm assessment and treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is tree removal after a storm covered by homeowners insurance in Louisiana?
Usually yes, if the tree damaged a covered structure and the cause was wind, a named storm, or another covered peril. Always confirm directly with your carrier, since a Louisiana hurricane deductible may apply separately from your standard deductible.
What should I do first if a tree falls on my house during a storm?
Get everyone to safety, call 911 if anyone is hurt, and if you see a downed power line, call Entergy New Orleans at 1-800-968-8243 before doing anything else.
Can I remove a fallen tree myself?
We strongly recommend against it. A tree resting on a structure is often under significant tension, and cutting into it without the right technique can cause it to shift suddenly.
How fast can Benton Tree Service respond after a storm in New Orleans?
For active emergencies we run a 24/7 emergency response team. For stable, non-urgent situations, we typically schedule removal within a day or two.
Will removing the tree stump cost extra?
Stump removal is typically quoted separately from tree removal. We’re happy to bundle both if you’d like the stump cleared in the same visit.
Benton Tree Service: Storm Response You Can Count On
Benton Tree Service has been New Orleans’ trusted storm-response tree company for more than 19 years. If a tree just came down on your property, call us at (504) 896-0820, or reach out through our emergency tree service page any time, day or night.