I'm Shawn with Roots and Restoration LLC out of De Pere. After a hard wind event across Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Black Creek, or here in De Pere, the first urge is often to grab a saw or walk under a hanging limb. That is how people get hurt.
This post is not about when to call or what counts as an emergency. Those are covered on our other pages. This is about the safe steps to take after the wind and before a tree crew arrives - so your family stays out of the fall zone and the job site is ready for us when we get there.
STAY OUT OF THE FALL ZONE FIRST
Before you document anything or move a single branch, look up and look around. Hung limbs, cracked leaders, and trees that are still loaded can drop without much warning. Keep people, pets, and kids clear of anything that could land if it lets go.
If a tree or large limb is already on a house, garage, or the only driveway exit, treat that as emergency tree work. Stay clear. Do not climb on the debris pile or the roof to "clear a path." Call or text (920) 873-1936 once you are in a safe spot, and we will talk through what we need to know for arrival.
POWER LINES BELONG TO THE UTILITY FIRST
If wires are down, sparking, touching a tree, or draped across a limb, stop. Do not touch the tree. Do not water near it. Do not cut anything that is holding or resting on a line.
Call the utility first and stay back until they say the line is safe. When the electrical side is clear, then we handle the tree work. That order saves lives on Northeast Wisconsin storm days - the same rule applies in town lots and out on rural roads.
WHAT NOT TO DO WHILE YOU WAIT
Do not climb a storm-damaged tree. Do not chainsaw a tree that is hung up, twisted, or still under tension. Loaded wood can roll, spring back, or drop the piece you thought was stable.
Do not pull on a hanger with a truck, rope, or ATV to "help it fall." That often turns a controlled problem into an uncontrolled one. Leave sectional cuts, rope work, and tension cuts to a crew that came prepared for them.
Small, clearly grounded brush that is fully on the ground and away from the tree and any wires can sometimes be stacked out of walkways if you are comfortable doing that. If you are unsure whether a piece is still connected or loaded, leave it alone.
DOCUMENT FOR INSURANCE - FACTS ONLY
If you need photos for your insurance claim, take them only from a safe distance. Capture what you see: date if your phone stamps it, which side of the house, what the tree is touching, and any blocked access. Stick to facts. Do not invent cause language or promise what a claim will cover - that is between you and your carrier.
Photos for us are different from photos that set a price. You are welcome to send clear pictures when you reach out. They help the crew know what we are looking at on arrival. We do not estimate or quote from photos. The clear look and the estimate come from an on-site visit when it is safe to walk the tree, the targets, and the access.
WHEN PHOTOS HELP TRIAGE VS WHEN TO STAY AWAY
Photos help when the tree is damaged but standing, nothing is actively falling, and you can shoot from a driveway, sidewalk, or open yard without walking under hangers. That kind of triage helps us decide whether the job can wait for a scheduled visit or needs same-day attention.
Skip the photos and get yourself clear if wood is still dropping, a trunk is splitting in real time, a tree is on a structure with people inside a hazard zone, or lines are involved. In those cases, distance matters more than a perfect picture. Call for emergency tree service and stay back until the scene is stable.
PREP ACCESS FOR THE TRUCK AND CHIPPER - ONLY IF SAFE
If it is safe to do so, move vehicles out of the work path and away from the fall zone. Unlock a side gate if that is how we will reach the tree. Note soft ground, septic lids, irrigation, fences, and low wires so we do not discover them under a tire or boom.
Do not drag heavy wood into the street to "make room." Do not widen a path by cutting live hangers yourself. A clear driveway and a marked gate save time once the crew arrives; clearing loaded timber yourself usually does the opposite.
HOW WE TAKE IT FROM THERE
When you call or text, tell us your town, what the tree is near, whether lines are involved, and whether anyone is in immediate danger. If photos are safe, send them. We use that to prepare gear and timing. Then we come for an on-site look, explain the plan, and get the hazard handled without you standing under it.
Storm cleanup and emergency calls often overlap after a wind event. If you want the broader when-to-call context for Green Bay storm work, or a clearer line on what counts as an emergency across NE Wisconsin, those posts and service pages are linked below. The next step for your yard is still the same: stay clear, then get us on site.
RELATED PAGES + GET HELP
- Storm damage cleanup: https://rootsandrestorationllc.com/storm-damage-cleanup
- Emergency tree service: https://rootsandrestorationllc.com/emergency-tree-service
- When to call for storm damage tree cleanup in Green Bay: https://rootsandrestorationllc.com/f/when-to-call-for-storm-damage-tree-cleanup-in-green-bay
- What counts as an emergency tree service call in NE Wisconsin: https://rootsandrestorationllc.com/f/what-counts-as-an-emergency-tree-service-call-in-ne-wisconsin
- Hazardous trees in De Pere: https://rootsandrestorationllc.com/f/hazardous-trees-in-de-pere-when-removal-beats-trimming
Also covering Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Black Creek, De Pere, and nearby Northeast Wisconsin - tree service only.
Roots and Restoration LLC
N6037 County Road U, De Pere, WI 54115
Call or text (920) 873-1936
Send photos if they help explain what you are seeing and you can take them from a safe spot. They help the crew prepare for arrival. The estimate still comes from an on-site visit.