CCall Home Help
Homeowner decision guideU.S. national guidance

Homeowner decision guide

Reviewed and updated September 22, 2026

What should be checked after lightning strikes or appears to strike a tree?

After a suspected lightning strike, wait until the storm hazard has passed and keep away from the affected tree. A strike can injure bark and internal tissues without leaving a complete external picture. A visible bark strip does not establish the extent of injury, and an apparently intact tree is not a reliable clearance to use the area beneath it.

Active fire, smoke, a hanging limb or damaged electrical equipment changes the response. Use emergency services for an active emergency and the serving utility for damaged lines. Do not shelter under the tree or approach electrical damage to take photographs.

Safety boundaryAfter a suspected lightning strike, wait until the storm hazard has passed and keep away from the affected tree. A strike can injure bark and internal tissues without leaving a complete external picture. A visible bark strip does not establish the extent of injury, and an apparently intact tree is not a reliable clearance to use the area beneath it.
See what changes by location

What changes by state, city and property?

The decision path is national guidance. The exact property, product, utility, jurisdiction and provider coverage can change the next step.

U.S. national guidance

What changes after you choose a location?

Choose a state to make the geographic boundary explicit.

A ZIP code may help screen service availability; it does not establish a local rule, price or provider commitment.

Applies nationallyThe explanation, safe observations and preparation questions apply as general U.S. homeowner guidance.
Must be confirmed locallyConfirm permits, adopted codes, licensing, property responsibility and service scope for the actual address.
More context for this decision

Details that can change the next step

Use the sections that match what you can safely observe. They add context without diagnosing the property from a distance.

What should be checked after lightning strikes or appears to strike a tree?

Document only from a safe location

Record the time of the event, any direct observation of the strike, and photographs of the whole tree and visible damage. Note nearby structures and whether people normally pass beneath the affected crown. Do not touch stripped bark or investigate underground roots.

What should be checked after lightning strikes or appears to strike a tree?

Request a tree assessment, not a survival prediction

Ask an arborist to examine structural damage and the prospects for retaining the tree separately. The recommendation may involve managing damaged branches, further investigation, monitoring or removal. Ask which findings support the choice and what changes would make an earlier return necessary.

Keep that written assessment with storm and property records. Where the building also sustained damage, arrange the relevant building or electrical inspection separately; an arborist's opinion is not an electrical-system inspection.

Limit: no universal waiting period or bark-damage percentage can determine this tree's outcome remotely. New decline after the event should be compared with the initial record.

Separate immediate hazards, tree condition and property constraints

Which situation best matches the property?

01

Document only from a safe location

Record the time of the event, any direct observation of the strike, and photographs of the whole tree and visible damage. Note nearby structures and whether people normally pass beneath the affected crown. Do not touch stripped bark or investigate underground roots.

Notice next: Record the time of the event, any direct observation of the strike, and photographs of the whole tree and visible damage. Note nearby structures and whether people normally pass beneath the affected crown. Do not touch stripped bark or.

02

Request a tree assessment, not a survival prediction

Ask an arborist to examine structural damage and the prospects for retaining the tree separately. The recommendation may involve managing damaged branches, further investigation, monitoring or removal. Ask which findings support the choice and what changes would make an earlier return necessary. Keep that written assessment with storm and property records. Where the building also sustained damage, arrange the relevant building or electrical inspection separately; an arborist's opinion is not an electrical-system inspection. Limit: no universal waiting period or bark-damage percentage can determine this tree's outcome remotely. New decline after the event should be compared with the initial record.

Notice next: Ask an arborist to examine structural damage and the prospects for retaining the tree separately. The recommendation may involve managing damaged branches, further investigation, monitoring or removal. Ask which findings support the.

03

Decision point 3

Keep that written assessment with storm and property records. Where the building also sustained damage, arrange the relevant building or electrical inspection separately; an arborist's opinion is not an electrical-system inspection.

Notice next: Keep that written assessment with storm and property records. Where the building also sustained damage, arrange the relevant building or electrical inspection separately; an arborist's opinion is not an electrical-system inspection.

Safe observation

What to record before contacting a professional

Use safe, visible observations and existing records only.

These observations organize the next conversation; they do not diagnose the property or authorize work.

What to record
  1. Record the time of the event, any direct observation of the strike, and photographs of the whole tree and visible damage. Note nearby structures and whether people normally pass beneath the affected crown. Do not touch stripped bark or.
  2. Ask an arborist to examine structural damage and the prospects for retaining the tree separately. The recommendation may involve managing damaged branches, further investigation, monitoring or removal. Ask which findings support the.
  3. Keep that written assessment with storm and property records. Where the building also sustained damage, arrange the relevant building or electrical inspection separately; an arborist's opinion is not an electrical-system inspection.
  4. Limit: no universal waiting period or bark-damage percentage can determine this tree's outcome remotely. New decline after the event should be compared with the initial record.
Stop and get appropriate help
  • After a suspected lightning strike, wait until the storm hazard has passed and keep away from the affected tree.
  • A strike can injure bark and internal tissues without leaving a complete external picture.
  • A visible bark strip does not establish the extent of injury, and an apparently intact tree is not a reliable clearance to use the area beneath it.
  • Stop if the next observation would require opening equipment, disturbing a hazard, climbing, forced entry or unsafe access.
Move from information to action

Who is the useful next contact?

Qualified arborist or tree professional

Use when the question requires inspection, testing, repair, installation or a property-specific scope.

  • Record the time of the event, any direct observation of the strike, and photographs of the whole tree and visible damage. Note nearby structures and whether people normally pass beneath the affected crown. Do not touch stripped bark or.
  • Ask an arborist to examine structural damage and the prospects for retaining the tree separately. The recommendation may involve managing damaged branches, further investigation, monitoring or removal. Ask which findings support the.
  • Keep that written assessment with storm and property records. Where the building also sustained damage, arrange the relevant building or electrical inspection separately; an arborist's opinion is not an electrical-system inspection.
  • Limit: no universal waiting period or bark-damage percentage can determine this tree's outcome remotely. New decline after the event should be compared with the initial record.
Relevant manufacturer, utility, insurer or local authority

Use when product instructions, utility responsibility, coverage, permits or local rules change the decision.

Contact guidance explains who may help and what to prepare. It does not verify a provider, license, price, arrival time or acceptance of the request.

Professional help

Use this guide to prepare for a qualified local professional.

Call Home Help does not currently have a verified phone connection for this service. We will not ask for a ZIP code or show a number until the campaign fields, endpoint and current routing conditions have been checked.

Phone connection not currently available

Check licensing, service area, schedule, scope and written estimate directly with professionals you consider.

Short answers

Questions people ask before the call

What should be checked after lightning strikes or appears to strike a tree?

After a suspected lightning strike, wait until the storm hazard has passed and keep away from the affected tree. A strike can injure bark and internal tissues without leaving a complete external picture. A visible bark strip does not establish the extent of injury, and an apparently intact tree is not a reliable clearance to use the area beneath it. Active fire, smoke, a hanging limb or damaged electrical equipment changes the response. Use emergency services for an active emergency and the serving utility for damaged lines. Do not shelter under the tree or approach electrical damage to take photographs.

What should I document before the next step?

Record the time of the event, any direct observation of the strike, and photographs of the whole tree and visible damage. Note nearby structures and whether people normally pass beneath the affected crown. Do not touch stripped bark or. Ask an arborist to examine structural damage and the prospects for retaining the tree separately. The recommendation may involve managing damaged branches, further investigation, monitoring or removal. Ask which findings support the. Keep that written assessment with storm and property records. Where the building also sustained damage, arrange the relevant building or electrical inspection separately; an arborist's opinion is not an electrical-system inspection.

What still needs local or property-specific confirmation?

This national guide cannot diagnose the property, verify a provider, or confirm address-specific availability. Permits, adopted codes, licenses, property responsibility and product instructions must be confirmed for the actual location and scope.

Sources and boundaries

What supports this guide?

  • Virginia Cooperative Extension — Tree Steward Manual, Chapter 11: Structural Defects, Tree Failure, and RiskTree conditions; Lightning; Fire; Tree risk assessment Boundary: Training manual, not an individual risk assessment. No numerical removal thresholds or categorical statements about all codominant unions adopted. CC BY-NC-SA source: facts paraphrased, no adapted text or figures. Scope: national. Source checked 2026-09-23. Confirm address-specific requirements with the relevant local authority or qualified professional.
  • National Weather Service — Lightning Safety OutdoorsSafe shelter; avoid trees; outdoor lightning precautions Boundary: Does not diagnose a property, establish a universal threshold, or approve a publication. Scope: national. Source checked 2026-09-23. Confirm address-specific requirements with the relevant local authority or qualified professional.
  • International Society of Arboriculture — Storm-Related Tree DamagePages 1–2: storm hazards, electrical lines and professional care Boundary: Does not diagnose a property, establish a universal threshold, or approve a publication. Scope: national. Source checked 2026-09-23. Confirm address-specific requirements with the relevant local authority or qualified professional.

This national guide cannot diagnose the property, verify a provider, or confirm address-specific availability.

Permits, adopted codes, licenses, property responsibility and product instructions must be confirmed for the actual location and scope.

A symptom or photograph does not prove the concealed condition, exact cause or final repair scope.