Why they are so dangerous
After a storm, the limbs on the ground are the ones people notice. The ones still in the tree are the ones that hurt people. The International Society of Arboriculture singles out broken branches still hanging in a tree as a storm hazard, because they can fall at any time. They are held only by other branches, often at a bad angle, and the wood that is holding them may itself be cracked.
Look up at every large tree near the house, the driveway and the sidewalk after a storm, with binoculars if the crown is high. Pines and tall oaks in Atlanta yards often carry broken limbs high enough that you cannot see them from directly underneath.
Meanwhile
- Rope off the area under the limb, at least as wide as the limb is long.
- Move cars out of the driveway or the street spot under it.
- Keep children and dogs out of that part of the yard.
- Do not shake the tree, throw a rope over the limb, or pull it with a vehicle. Limbs pulled down this way come down on whoever is pulling.
If the limb touches or hangs over a power line, it is the utility’s job first; see Tree on a power line.
How crews bring it down
A climber or a bucket operator ties the hanging limb before cutting anything, so it can be lowered rather than dropped. The rope runs through a point higher in the tree, and the ground crew controls the descent. If the limb is lodged over the roof, it may come down in pieces. Say how high it is and what is under it when you call: the answer decides whether a climber, a bucket truck or a crane comes.
Afterward
The place where the limb broke off is a fresh wound, often with a ragged stub or torn bark down the trunk. A clean pruning cut at that point helps the tree. If several large limbs broke, have the whole tree looked at; see Having a tree checked.
Checked against the sources below on 2026-10-11.