Does insurance cover wind damage to trees?

Five wind scenarios and how they usually play out

1. Wind topples a tree onto the house: covered. Repairs to the house plus removal of the tree from it, minus your deductible.
2. Wind drops a tree on a fence or shed: covered under other structures coverage.
3. Wind uproots a tree that lands in the yard: usually not covered. Cleanup is yours.
4. Wind drops a tree across the driveway: many current policies pay limited removal, commonly up to $500 per tree and $1,000 per storm, when it blocks vehicles from getting in or out.
5. A neighbor's tree lands in your yard without hitting anything: usually each owner handles their own side, unless the tree was a known hazard.

Hanging limbs and split trunks

A broken limb caught high in the canopy, or a trunk split down the middle, is dangerous but is not a claim until it falls and damages something covered. Paying an arborist to take it down is maintenance. Waiting is risky: if a tree you knew was damaged later falls on a neighbor's house, that knowledge can shift responsibility to you.

What to photograph

Take wide shots showing where the tree fell and what it hit, the root ball or break point, and any damage to the roof, gutters and fence. Note the date and the reported gusts. If the roof was touched, even lightly, have it inspected, because a glancing limb can crack shingles and lift flashing that will not leak until the next rain. See wind damage roof claims, and the Georgia Roof Guide on how wind damages Georgia roofs.