It happens fast. A storm rolls through Hamilton, the wind picks up, and then — the crack. A large branch lands on your roof. Or worse, an entire tree comes down across your car, your fence, or your home.
In May 2025, a severe windstorm swept through Hamilton, toppling trees and hydro poles across the city and injuring the city's own mayor in the process. Hamilton's forestry crews received more than 200 storm-related tree calls in a single storm event just days before this was written. Ice storms in March 2025 caused widespread tree damage across Ontario, with arborists calling it the worst they had seen in a decade.
If a tree has just come down on your property — or you're reading this to be prepared — here is exactly what to do, in order.
Step 1 — Get Everyone Safe First
Before anything else: get away from the tree and get everyone out of the affected area.
Storm-damaged trees behave unpredictably. A fallen tree can suddenly roll, shift, or drop additional branches without warning. Partially fallen trees — the ones leaning against your house but not fully down — are often more dangerous than ones that have already hit the ground.
Do not go near the tree until a professional has assessed it.
If the tree is touching or near a hydro line, do not approach it under any circumstances. Call Alectra Utilities at 905-946-6222 immediately. Electrical current can travel through the tree, the ground, and standing water — you do not need to touch the wire to be seriously injured.
Step 2 — Call for Emergency Help If Needed
If anyone is injured: call 911 immediately.
If the tree has blocked a public road or fallen on a utility line: call the City of Hamilton at 905-546-2489 (after hours emergency line) and Alectra at 905-946-6222.
If the tree is on your property and not touching any utility line: call a certified arborist with 24/7 emergency response. This is not a job for next week — a damaged tree sitting against your house can cause far more damage in the next wind event or rainfall than it caused when it initially fell.
Step 3 — Document Everything Before Any Cleanup Begins
Before a single branch is moved: take photos and video of everything.
Document:
- The full tree and how it fell
- Every point of contact with structures (roof, fence, wall, vehicle)
- Any visible damage to the home — roof shingles, siding, windows, gutters
- The condition of the tree (was it visibly dead, diseased, or was it a healthy tree?)
- The property line location if the tree came from a neighbour's yard
This documentation is critical for your insurance claim. If cleanup starts before photos are taken, your insurer may have difficulty assessing the original damage.
Step 4 — Call Your Insurance Company
Call your home insurance provider as soon as it is safe to do so.
Here is what Ontario homeowners need to know about storm tree damage and insurance:
If the tree was on your own property:
Your home insurance typically covers damage caused by a fallen tree — subject to your deductible and policy terms. This includes damage to your roof, siding, windows, and outbuildings. Tree removal is often covered when the tree has damaged an insured structure. If the tree fell but caused no structural damage (landed in the yard only), removal is generally not covered and is your responsibility.
If the tree came from a neighbour's property:
This surprises many Hamilton homeowners: if a healthy tree from your neighbour's yard falls on your home during a storm, your own insurance handles the claim — not your neighbour's. Storms are considered acts of nature. The exception is negligence: if your neighbour knew the tree was dead, diseased, or dangerous and failed to act on it, their liability coverage may be responsible. But the starting point is always your own insurer.
What can get your claim denied:
- The tree was visibly dead or rotting before it fell
- You had been warned about the tree's condition and did not act
- The cause was gradual decay, not a sudden storm event
- The tree fell but did not damage any insured structure
This is exactly why regular tree health evaluations matter — not just for safety, but for your insurance coverage.
Step 5 — Call a Certified Arborist for the Removal
Once the immediate safety situation is handled and your insurer is notified, the next call is to a certified arborist for the actual removal.
Storm tree removal is not a DIY job. Here is why:
- Storm-damaged trees are structurally unpredictable. A tree that looks like it fell cleanly may be carrying enormous tension in branches and the trunk — releasing that tension with a chainsaw without knowing what you're doing can cause the tree to move violently and without warning
- "Widow makers" — dead or broken branches hanging in the canopy — are invisible from the ground and can fall at any point during cleanup
- A tree leaning against your house requires careful rigging and sectional removal to prevent further damage to the structure as it comes down
- Without proper equipment and training, amateur chainsaw work causes more injuries than the original storm damage
ISA certified arborists are trained specifically for storm work — the assessment of structural risk, the rigging, the sequencing, and the cleanup.
Warning Signs to Watch for After a Storm — Even if No Tree Fell
A storm that didn't take down a tree can still leave dangerous conditions behind. Walk your property after every significant storm and look for:
- A tree that is now leaning that wasn't leaning before — this almost always indicates root instability
- Soil upheaval or cracking around the base of a tree
- A split or crack in the main trunk or a major limb
- Hanging or partially attached large branches (do not walk or park underneath them)
- Visible root damage or newly exposed roots
- A tree that lost significant crown material — this changes its weight distribution and wind resistance
If you see any of these signs, call an arborist for an assessment before the next wind event. These conditions do not resolve on their own — they typically get worse.
Hamilton's Storm Risk — What You're Actually Up Against
Hamilton's geography creates specific storm exposure that homeowners in other Ontario cities don't face in quite the same way.
The Niagara Escarpment creates updrafts that can produce localized wind gusts significantly stronger than the surrounding region — properties in Ancaster, Upper Stoney Creek, Dundas Valley, and Waterdown face this regularly.
Ice storms are a particular risk across all of Hamilton. Ice loading adds enormous weight to branches — a single branch can accumulate enough ice to triple its normal weight, snapping it from the trunk without any wind at all. The March 2025 Ontario ice storm was described by arborists as the worst tree damage event they had seen in nearly a decade.
The mature urban forest in Hamilton's older neighbourhoods — Westdale, Kirkendall, Crown Point, Rosedale, and the Dundas Valley communities — means the trees are large, the canopy is dense, and when a branch comes down, it comes down with significant mass.
The Best Thing You Can Do Before a Storm Hits
The most effective storm response is a good tree inspection before the storm season starts.
An ISA certified arborist can identify:
- Dead or dying branches that are likely to fail under wind or ice loading
- Structural weaknesses in the trunk or major limb unions
- Trees that have been previously damaged and are now at higher risk
- Species-specific risks — silver maples, for example, are known for weak branch attachment and are extremely common in Hamilton's urban neighbourhoods
- Root zone problems that make a tree more likely to uproot entirely
Removing a dead branch proactively costs a fraction of removing a tree from your roof after it falls — and it keeps your insurance claim history clean.
Timber Creek Tree Service — Hamilton's 24/7 Emergency Response
When a storm hits Hamilton and a tree comes down on your property, Timber Creek Tree Service responds around the clock — including Sundays and holidays.
Jamie and the crew handle emergency removals across Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas, Stoney Creek, Waterdown, Burlington, Grimsby, and all surrounding communities. Every job is handled by ISA certified arborists — not subcontractors, not a call centre dispatch. Jamie personally manages every emergency call.
Emergency line: 905-870-1441
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text — we answer.
Quick Reference — What to Do if a Tree Falls
- Get everyone away from the tree and out of the affected area
- If the tree is on hydro lines, call Alectra at 905-946-6222 before anything else
- If anyone is injured, call 911
- Photograph and video all damage before any cleanup begins
- Call your home insurance provider to begin the claims process
- Call a certified arborist for the removal — not a general handyman or lawn service
- Do not attempt to remove or cut any part of a storm-damaged tree yourself
Storm damage is stressful — but the steps are straightforward if you know them before the storm hits. The most important thing you can do right now is look at the large trees on your property and ask honestly: if that tree came down tonight, where would it land? If the answer includes your house, your car, or your neighbour's property — call us for a free assessment. It is the most useful 15 minutes your trees will ever get.