Ice Storm Tree Damage: What to Do Before and After

The late-January 2026 winter storm showed what ice can do here. Freezing rain coated the ridges, trees came down across Signal Mountain under the weight, and EPB crews spent days restoring power to thousands of homes where ice-loaded branches and trees had pulled down lines. The valley floor often stays just above freezing while the mountains ice over, so Signal, Lookout and the higher parts of Walker and Catoosa counties usually take the worst of it.

How ice breaks trees

Ice builds on every twig, and a big tree has a lot of twigs. The extra weight bends limbs far past their normal load. Branches with hidden cracks or decay snap first, then tight V-shaped forks split, and trees in soaked ground can tip over roots and all. Evergreens like pines and hollies collect even more ice because they keep their needles and leaves all winter.

The trees most likely to break

• Bradford pears. Weak forks split under ice. See our Bradford pear guide.
• Older water oaks and silver maples. Brittle wood and heavy limbs.
• Pines, especially tall, thin ones that grew up crowded in the woods.
• Tulip poplars with long, heavy side limbs.
• Dead and dying trees, including ash trees killed by emerald ash borer. These fail in any weather.

For more, see the trees most likely to fall in Chattanooga storms.

Before the ice: what to do this winter

1. Walk your yard now. Use our 10-point hazard checklist on every big tree near the house, driveway and power drop.
2. Remove dead wood. Dead limbs are the first to come down, ice or no ice.
3. Fix weak forks and long limbs. A good trimmer can shorten heavy limbs and reduce weight over the roof without topping the tree. See tree trimming.
4. Clear the roof and the service line. Limbs over the house and the line from the pole to the house cause the most expensive damage.
5. Take out the worst trees. A dead or badly split tree over the house is cheaper to remove on a calm day than after it lands. Winter is also when many crews have the most open dates.

After the ice: what to do, in order

1. Stay safe. Keep away from downed lines and from under loaded trees. Ice-weighted limbs keep falling for a day or two, especially once the sun hits them.
2. Report outages and lines. Call EPB or your provider. Don’t try to clear limbs off a line yourself.
3. Document the damage. Photos of the tree, the house and the car before anything is moved help with any insurance claim.
4. Get the urgent work done first. Trees on the house, blocking the only way out or hanging over where people walk. See emergency tree removal.
5. Watch for storm chasers. After the 2026 storms, the Tennessee Attorney General warned about tree service scams. Get a written quote, check insurance and never pay the full price up front. Our hiring guide lists what to ask.
6. Check the survivors later. Trees that lost big limbs can decay at the wounds. Look again in spring once the leaves are out.

Get a winter quote

Call (423) 356-6500 or use the form below. Send photos of the trees over your house, and a local crew will call you back with a price for pruning or removal before the next storm.