Storm and emergency tree removal in Lufkin

After a storm, the order matters: people first, wires second, then the tree. Here is what's on record for this area and what the agencies advise.

What Rita did here

Hurricane Rita made landfall near Sabine Pass early on September 24, 2005, as a Category 3 storm. The National Weather Service in Shreveport reported widespread tree and power line damage in Angelina County, about 50 to 75 homes and businesses with mostly minor damage from wind or falling trees, and two deaths in the county: a person struck by a falling tree, and a teenager electrocuted while picking up a downed power line. Restoration in the Lufkin and Nacogdoches areas took about a week, finishing October 2, according to TXU Electric Delivery. The Texas Forest Service put the county's damaged timber at 4,832 acres.

In the first hours

• Treat every downed wire as live. Oncor says to call 888-313-4747 if a fallen tree is on a power line, and 911 if there's fire or sparking.
• Stay out from under hangers. Keep people and pets away from broken limbs still caught in the crown until they're cut down.
• Take pictures before anything moves. Shots of the trunk, the roofline and the lawn are handy if you file an insurance claim.
• Who removes it. Oncor removes debris its own crews create, but says that if a tree falls, removing it is the resident's responsibility.

Hiring after a storm

Texas AgriLife Extension's guide "When Your Trees Fail: Who Do You Call?" came out in October 2005, the fall Rita hit, and its advice still applies: don't accept the first or lowest bid, compare two or three, ask for references and proof of insurance, and don't pick someone just because they came to the door with a chainsaw. It warns that if an accident happens, the homeowner can be held liable. Angi's Houston guide adds that prices can rise when demand is high or work runs after hours, as after a large storm.

Downed pines don't keep

The Texas A&M Forest Service says storm-damaged timber should be salvaged as soon as possible. Ambrosia beetles and wood borers go after downed pines first, and wood left on the ground for more than two or three months is likely to be colonized by decay fungi. In rural areas, the 2005 extension guide also warned against burning storm debris until the weather improves, since one ember could ignite the downed wood.