Summer storms in New Jersey can unleash devastating winds that transform your beautiful landscape into a scene of chaos. When lightning strikes or powerful gusts topple your favorite oak or maple, the aftermath feels overwhelming. Your once-pristine yard now harbors broken branches, uprooted trees, and scattered debris that pose serious safety risks to your family and property.

Seaview Landscapes wants you to know that a structured approach can help turn this stressful situation into a more manageable one, with a light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s walk through the important steps you need to take after a summer storm disrupts your property. If you have questions, need to schedule a tree removal, or any other landscaping service, do not hesitate to call.

Prioritize Immediate Safety

Storms pass, but the danger does not always leave with the clouds. Before inspecting anything, pause and observe the area around your trees. Downed utility lines near branches, snapped trunks, or partially hanging limbs can threaten your safety without warning. Even a tree that appears stable might hide a cracked branch or a partially dislodged root that can shift without notice.

Most importantly, keep people and pets away from damaged areas. Another immediate safety measure is to look for any power lines that are tangled in debris, as this poses a risk of electrocution.

Assess the Damage Carefully

With a safe distance established between you and the potential hazard, your attention can turn to a visual assessment of the situation. Begin by observing the tree’s overall posture. A sudden, more pronounced lean following the storm is a clear indicator of instability and an immediate risk. Let your gaze then travel up into the canopy to spot any large, broken branches that remain hanging, as these can fall unexpectedly.

Your inspection should continue down the length of the trunk, searching for deep cracks, splits, or any significant wound that exposes the inner wood. Such damage creates a vulnerable entry point for opportunistic insects or disease infestations, compromising the tree’s long-term health. Finally, examine the ground around the tree’s base. Heaved soil or new cracks radiating away from the trunk are serious signs of root failure, meaning the tree’s foundation is no longer secure. 

This careful observation is not about making a final diagnosis yourself; it is about gathering important details to accurately describe the damage to your insurance agent and our professional team.

Document the Damage

After your visual assessment, use your phone or camera to document what you see. Take wide shots of the entire tree, then zoom in on wounds, cracks, or broken limbs. Include images of the trunk base, exposed roots, and any bark loss. These images support insurance claims and help professional arborists diagnose tree health quickly.

Contact Your Homeowner’s Insurance Provider

Every policy offers different coverage for storm-related property damage. In most cases, fallen trees that damage a structure — such as a roof, fence, or shed — may fall under covered losses. Storms that cause injury or block driveways may also meet coverage conditions. However, trees that fall without hitting anything often fall outside of claimable events.

Hire a Trusted Tree Removal Service

Removing damaged trees should never become a weekend DIY project. Without proper knowledge of bark structure, root systems, and branch tension, cutting a limb or trunk can cause serious injury or property loss. South Jersey residents need skilled crews who approach tree removal with safety, science, and customer service at the forefront. That’s where Seaview Landscapes comes in.

Our professionals are trained in arboriculture, so they understand how to manage fallen trees without causing damage to nearby structures, landscape features, or healthy trees. They can also expertly assess hazard risks and use appropriate tools to remove debris methodically.

Our Safe & Streamlined Tree Removal Process

Seaview Landscapes follows a thoughtful, safety-first approach that helps customers regain peace of mind without delay.

• Initial Site Evaluation: Our team visits your property and reviews all visible damage. We check tree species, measure stability, and observe the surrounding soil and lawn to understand the broader landscape impact.
• Risk Assessment: We identify structural weaknesses, hazardous lean, or compromised root systems. If a tree appears unstable or unsafe, we prioritize its removal to minimize the risk of injury or property damage.
• Tree Removal Plan: Every tree removal follows a step-by-step plan. We map out where limbs will land and assess how each cut will affect the structure. This prevents surprises and keeps your home safe.
• Stump Grinding or Root Removal: After cutting the trunk, we offer stump grinding or root removal depending on your lawn goals. Some customers prefer stump grinding to leave a clean surface for reseeding or sod.
• Cleanup & Debris Removal: Branches, bark, and wood fragments are cleared thoroughly. We rake the area, inspect the soil, and leave your yard tidy. Larger wood can be cut into manageable sections if you prefer to keep it.

How Removal Protects the Long-Term Health of Your Yard

Removing a badly damaged tree does much more than just clear away an eyesore and a hazard. It is a proactive step toward protecting the long-term vitality of your entire yard. A large, open wound on a tree is an invitation for insect infestations and fungal disease. Pests can establish a foothold in the damaged wood and then spread to other healthy trees on your property. Similarly, fungal spores carried on the wind can colonize the exposed tissue, causing rot that can weaken the tree further or spread through the soil.

Having weakened trees extracted also reduces competition for sunlight and nutrients, giving healthier species room to grow. Moreover, it creates space for airflow, which supports bark strength. Left unchecked, broken trees may fall later or shift suddenly due to internal trunk decay.

Did a Summer Storm Damage Your Trees? Call Seaview Landscapes!

The storms that roll across New Jersey may be brief, but their impact can last for seasons. Damaged trees introduce risk, interfere with daily life, and compromise your yard’s overall health. South Jersey residents trust Seaview Landscapes because we approach each job with care, knowledge, and a calm commitment to quality.

Call today to schedule a property review. We’ll help protect your lawn, remove the hazard, and start the recovery process so your landscape can return to its healthiest state.