A tree was damaged in a Melbourne storm. What should you do first?
A tree or branch has failed after a storm. Learn when to call 000, VICSES or the electricity distributor, what not to touch and how tree work is scoped.
Storm damage can leave a tree looking still while branches, split unions or the roots and surrounding soil remain under changing loads. Wind may have passed, but the site is not automatically safe. Protect people first; property clean-up comes later.
The short answer
1. Keep people, pets and vehicles away from the tree and possible fall area.
2. Call 000 if anyone is injured, trapped or in immediate danger.
3. If a tree or branch is touching or close to powerlines, stay well clear and contact the relevant electricity distributor. Treat lines as live.
4. For non-life-threatening storm or flood assistance, call VICSES on 132 500.
5. Contact the insurer where property is damaged.
6. Only when the relevant emergency or electrical hazard is controlled should a tree-work provider approach.
Do not stand under a hanging branch to photograph it. Do not climb onto a roof beneath damaged timber. Do not pull a branch with a vehicle or rope.
Who should you call?
| Situation | First call |
|---|---|
| Immediate danger to life, injury or entrapment | 000 |
| Tree or branch touching/close to electricity lines | Electricity distributor; 000 if life is at risk |
| Non-life-threatening storm assistance | VICSES 132 500 |
| Tree blocks a public road or affects council land | Relevant emergency service, road authority or council |
| Private-property damage with no immediate emergency or electrical hazard | Insurer where relevant, then an appropriate tree-work provider |
An arborist cannot make electrical infrastructure safe or replace emergency services.
Why storm-damaged trees are difficult to read
A broken branch may remain caught high in the canopy. A split trunk may be held together by fibres that continue to tear. A partially uprooted roots and surrounding soil can move as the soil drains or the wind changes. One failed branch can expose or overload another.
The following changes are worth treating seriously:
- a new split or open crack;
- hanging or lodged branches;
- fresh root-plate lifting or soil cracking;
- a new or increasing lean;
- a trunk or limb resting on a building;
- broken tops or large branch loss;
- movement near powerlines;
- repeated sounds of cracking.
None of these can be assessed safely by standing beneath the tree.
What not to do
Do not cut timber that is under load
Bent branches and trunks can release suddenly when cut. Even material on the ground can spring, roll or shift.
Do not use a ladder and chainsaw
The cut changes the balance of both branch and operator. Ladders do not provide a controlled work-at-height system.
Do not assume the power is off
A line can be live, re-energised or capable of arcing. Stay away until the distributor controls the hazard.
Do not enter to save a car or garden item
Objects can be replaced. A hanging branch can fail without warning.
Do not accept an immediate removal decision without scope
True emergencies can require make-safe work, but the remaining tree, stump, debris and final repair may be separate decisions. Ask what the urgent authorisation includes.
Document damage without increasing risk
If there is a safe vantage point:
- photograph the whole tree and affected structure;
- record the time and storm event;
- keep 000, VICSES, distributor and council reference numbers;
- note what visibly changed;
- retain messages and invoices;
- ask the insurer what authorisation it needs.
Never cross an exclusion area or approach lines for a better angle.
What a tree-work provider needs to know
Provide the suburb, safe access instructions, authority status, insurer status, what changed, what is blocked, nearby powerlines/roads/structures and photos taken from safety.
The provider should then decide whether:
- the site can be approached;
- another authority or specialist is still required;
- immediate isolation is safer than cutting;
- make-safe work can be separated from final removal;
- traffic or pedestrian controls are needed;
- conditions are suitable for work.
Make-safe work versus complete removal
“Make safe” should be defined for the incident. It may mean removing a suspended branch, clearing essential access, reducing an immediate load or establishing a temporary exclusion. It does not automatically mean:
- complete tree removal;
- stump grinding;
- full debris removal;
- roof or fence repair;
- a formal report;
- council approval for later work.
Get the scope in writing, even when authorisation must happen quickly.
Will the tree need to be removed?
Not every storm-damaged tree needs complete removal. The decision depends on the extent and location of failure, remaining structure, roots, species response, targets and realistic options to reduce risk.
A tree that retains enough sound structure may have a pruning or monitoring pathway. A tree with severe root-plate failure or irreparable structural loss may not. A photo alone cannot settle every case.
What affects emergency-tree cost?
After-hours or urgent mobilisation can add cost, but site complexity is often more important:
- instability and hidden tension;
- access and safe working conditions;
- powerline, road or authority coordination;
- structures and the need to lower material;
- crew and equipment requirements;
- debris volume;
- weather and light;
- make-safe versus full removal;
- stump and clean-up scope.
Ask for rates, inclusions and the variation process. Do not assume an insurer will reimburse every cost.
After the immediate work
Before the file is closed:
1. Confirm what remains in the tree and on the ground.
2. Ask whether a later inspection or report is recommended.
3. Resolve council evidence and permission.
4. Decide on complete removal, pruning or monitoring.
5. Confirm stump and material treatment.
6. Photograph the finished urgent scope.
7. Keep documents for the insurer.
Can storm damage be prevented?
No one can guarantee that a tree will not fail in extreme conditions. Planned, purpose-led tree management can identify some concerns, remove defined dead or damaged branches, protect roots and reduce avoidable conflicts. Severe topping is not responsible storm-proofing and can create weak regrowth.
Storm-damage questions
The branch has stopped moving. Is it safe?
Not necessarily. Loading can change with wind, drying, other movement or further fibre failure.
Can I drag a fallen tree away with a four-wheel drive?
Improvised pulling can move the tree, vehicle, anchor or nearby branches unpredictably. Keep clear and use an appropriate work method.
Who deals with a tree on powerlines?
The electricity distributor controls the electrical hazard. Do not approach.
Does VICSES remove every private tree?
VICSES prioritises emergency assistance. Its role and the later private work scope may differ. Follow its direction for the incident.
Do I need council approval after a storm?
Requirements vary. Protect life first, preserve evidence and contact the relevant council when safe.
Can Treepeeps attend tonight?
Availability depends on the location, conditions, current workload and whether another authority must act first. Call or send the urgent enquiry details, but do not wait for a business response where immediate danger or electrical assets are involved.
Need urgent tree help?
Use the emergency tree removal guide. Once the site is safe for a tree-work provider, call 03 8383 3914 or send an urgent enquiry.
Read the emergency tree removal guide. Once the site is safe for a tree-work provider, send an urgent enquiry.