First hour: people, lines, then trees
After high winds or ice, the first job is not the tree; it is the wires. Georgia Power warns that when trees or limbs tear down power lines, those lines may still be energized in the air or on the ground. Its guidance is to assume any downed line is energized, stay away, never touch it or drive over it, and contact the utility immediately. The same applies to limbs resting on a line, since the utility notes that trees can conduct electricity when they contact lines.
Once lines are reported and everyone is clear, take photographs of the damage from a safe distance for your records and your insurer. Then sort the damage into three groups: anything on a structure or blocking a driveway, anything hanging or leaning, and everything already on the ground. That order is how most providers will want to work as well.
Who clears what after a storm
Georgia Power's vegetation FAQ is clear about the split. After a storm, its primary focus is restoring power, and trees that have fallen from natural causes and are interfering with power lines will be cut away by the utility so service can be restored. After storm events, it says, any vegetation debris cleanup is the responsibility of the property owner.
That leaves most of the work to you and the provider you hire: removing trees from roofs and fences, cutting up trunks on the ground, grinding stumps, and hauling or disposing of debris. If your address is served by a different electric provider, check that utility's own storm guidance. For trees near lines that are not yet down, read trees near power lines before anyone climbs.
Damaged trees and the county ordinance
For existing single-family homes in unincorporated Cherokee County, Article 27 exempts tree removal by the homeowner unless the tree is a Heritage Tree, and it states that arborist approval is not required for individual homeowners to remove dead and diseased trees. On development sites, the ordinance also provides a route for removing structurally declining trees: trees documented in writing by a professional forester or ISA Certified Arborist as posing a risk of failure may be authorized for removal without penalty.
Storm damage does not automatically cancel protections on a permitted site, so builders and developers should talk to the county arborist before removing damaged trees in a tree save area or buffer. For homeowners, the practical step is to ask your provider to separate trees that are clearly broken from those that look damaged but may recover. Our dead and hazard tree page explains how that assessment works.
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Free Quote RequestDebris: burning, hauling and the summer ban
Storm debris is where many owners get caught out. The Georgia Forestry Commission says hand-piled natural vegetation, meaning leaves and limbs, can be burned without a permit, but vegetative storm debris and land-clearing burns do require a permit, which can be obtained by calling 1-800-GA-TREES or applying online.
From May 1 through September 30, Georgia EPD's summer burn ban applies in Cherokee County, and EPD lists vegetative debris from storms among the activities prohibited during that period. Cherokee County Fire also notes that residents of Ball Ground, Canton and other incorporated cities follow their own city's outdoor burning ordinances. Hauling or chipping is the usual answer in summer. See burning tree debris in Cherokee County for the full rules.
Questions to ask a storm-response provider
Ask how they will remove a tree that is on the house without causing more damage, and whether they will tarp or otherwise protect openings. Ask whether the quote covers only making the property safe, or full cleanup, stump grinding and hauling. If stumps are included, ask who will place the Georgia 811 locate request, since Georgia law treats stump removal as excavation.
Ask for the scope and price in writing before work begins, even in a rush. Storms bring out-of-area crews, and a written scope protects you. A Free Quote Request lets independent local providers who serve Cherokee County contact you; you choose whether to hire any of them. For the stump part of the job, see stump grinding.
After the cleanup: the trees that are left
Storms expose weaknesses in the trees that survive. Cracked unions, hanging broken limbs and lifted root plates are all reasons to have a closer look. UGA Extension's pruning guidance says to cut back to the branch collar and avoid leaving stubs, which applies to storm-broken limbs as much as planned pruning.
Pines weakened by storm damage can also attract bark beetles. The Georgia Forestry Commission describes southern pine beetle attack signs as pitch tubes and boring dust on the bark. If you see those in the weeks after a storm, read pine beetle tree removal and act early.