Storms across Southwestern Ontario can drop trees on houses, snap pines across driveways, and bring down leaning trees. When that happens, you need a crew that answers the phone and shows up fast. Sharpe Tree Service runs 24/7 emergency response across the region.
Call (226) 271-8969 any time, day or night.
When to Call for Emergency Tree Service
These are situations where waiting isn’t safe, and the tree should be treated as an immediate emergency:
- A tree has fallen onto a house, garage, barn, or other structure. The pressure and weight can continue to shift, leading to further structural damage.
- A tree has come down on a vehicle, especially if it is resting unevenly or still under tension.
- A tree or large limb is blocking your only access in or out of the property, such as a driveway or laneway.
- A tree that suddenly starts leaning when it was previously straight. This often indicates root failure and can worsen quickly.
- Large branches hanging in the canopy after a storm. These “widow-makers” can fall without warning and are extremely dangerous.
- Visible cracks in a main trunk or major branch union after wind or ice damage, which can signal structural failure.
- Any tree in contact with a hydro line. Stay clear of the area and contact your local utility provider first. Once the line is confirmed safe, removal can be handled properly.
What Can Wait Until Morning
- Trees down in the yard that didn’t hit anything.
- Small branches and debris scattered around.
- Fence or landscape damage with no structural risk.
- Trees with broken branches but no leaning or hanging limbs.
For these, calling the next morning usually gets faster service than calling during peak storm response, and you’ll typically avoid the emergency rate.
Storm Damage in Southwestern Ontario
Southern Ontario sees the full range of damaging weather – summer thunderstorms with derechos and tornadic outflow, high winds rolling off Lake Huron and Lake Erie, ice storms that load limbs until they shear off, and heavy wet snow events in shoulder seasons that catch trees with leaves still on. After a major storm, response priorities are:
- Life-safety situations first. Trees on homes, blocked emergency access, hazards directly over people.
- Property protection next. Trees on vehicles, hanging limbs over driveways, leaners ready to fail.
- Routine cleanup as crews become available – usually within a day or two of the event for non-emergency work.
During major storms, our call volume goes up, and so does demand. Calling earlier puts you in a better spot in the queue.
What to Do Before the Crew Arrives
Do:
- Photograph and video the damage from multiple angles for insurance documentation.
- Keep family and pets well clear of the damaged tree.
- Call your insurer to start a claim if a structure was hit.
- Move vehicles to a safe location if you can do so safely.
Don’t:
- Don’t try to cut a tree off your house yourself. Storm-damaged trees are loaded with trapped tension that releases violently when cut wrong – chainsaw injuries from amateur storm cleanup are the most common emergency-room tree story in Ontario after a major event.
- Don’t approach anything in contact with a hydro line.
- Don’t sign anything from door-knockers offering immediate cheap cleanup. After major storms, traveling crews show up across Southwestern Ontario, and many are uninsured and gone before anything goes wrong.
Why Our 24/7 Line Is Different
A real person answers the phone, not a machine. For genuine emergencies, we dispatch a crew as fast as conditions allow. Eighteen years in business, 40 years of combined experience, fully licensed and insured. We take care of people close to home – that’s not a slogan, it’s how we’ve run this business for nearly two decades.
Pricing
Emergency rates run higher than scheduled work, which is industry standard for after-hours and weekend response. Our no-surprise guarantee still applies on emergency calls: the quote we give you on-site is the price you pay, even at 2 AM during an ice event.
