Central Minnesota storms can drop a lot of trees and debris in a hurry. When it happens, a calm, ordered response gets your property cleaned up faster and protects you on insurance. Here's the order to do things in.

First Steps After a Storm

  • Safety first — stay away from downed power lines and leaning trees
  • Document everything with photos before you move anything
  • Call your insurance to start a claim if there's property damage
  • Get a cleanup contractor out for a written estimate

1. Stay safe

Downed power lines are deadly and always live until the utility says otherwise — keep everyone well clear and call the power company. Leaning or hung-up trees are unpredictable; don't walk under them. Storm cleanup is not the time for heroics.

2. Photograph before you touch anything

Before any debris moves, take plenty of photos and video — wide shots and close-ups of any damage to structures, fences, and vehicles. This documentation is what your insurance adjuster wants to see, and it's much harder to capture after cleanup starts.

3. Start your insurance claim

If a storm damaged your home, garage, fence, or other property, call your insurer to open a claim before cleanup. Many policies cover storm debris removal, and a contractor who provides itemized written estimates with before-and-after photos makes the claim go smoother.

4. Get the right cleanup crew

For downed trees, brush, and debris across a yard or acreage, an equipment-based crew with a skid loader and dump trailer clears and hauls far faster than hand work. We handle tree and brush removal, debris hauling, and grading the site back to usable across Central Minnesota — and we provide the written, photo-backed estimates insurance wants.

A note on big hazardous trees

A large tree resting on a structure or tangled in power lines is specialized work — we'll tell you honestly when a bucket-truck arborist or the utility needs to handle it first. Most yard, lot, and fence-line storm debris we clear directly.

Move quickly, but in order

The properties that recover fastest after a storm aren't the ones that rush in with a chainsaw — they're the ones that stay safe, document, file, and bring in the right crew. Do it in that order and you'll be cleaned up and made whole sooner.

Frequently Asked Questions

Stay safe (avoid downed lines and leaning trees), photograph everything before moving it, call your insurance to start a claim, then get a cleanup contractor out for a written estimate.

Many policies do. Photograph the damage before cleanup and use a contractor who provides itemized written estimates with before/after photos — it makes the claim smoother.

A tree on a structure or in power lines is specialized — we'll advise when a bucket-truck arborist or the utility must handle it first. Most yard, lot, and fence-line storm debris we clear directly with our equipment.

Related: Storm Damage Cleanup  •  Tree Removal  •  Land Clearing