Updated October 15, 2026.
Hurricane Isaias came ashore near Destin as a Category 2 storm at about 8:30 p.m. CDT on Friday, October 9, 2026. If a tree is lying on your roof, your porch or your pool enclosure, here is what to do, in order.
Get everyone safe first
Call 911 if anyone is hurt, if you smell gas, or if you see fire or sparks. Otherwise, start by getting people out from under the damaged part of the house.
- If the ceiling is sagging, the roof is creaking or the tree is still moving, leave the house and stay out.
- Treat any wire touching the tree, the roof or the ground as live. Stay back and call your electric utility (CHELCO if you are a member). A tree in contact with a line is the utility's job before it is anyone else's.
- Do not park or walk under the tree, even if it looks settled.
What not to do
Do not cut the tree yourself. A trunk resting on a roof is balanced in ways you cannot see from the ground. One cut can drop the weight onto a different part of the house, roll the trunk, or snap a limb back toward you, and a chainsaw on a ladder or a wet roof adds a fall to the list.
Do not climb onto the roof to look. Take photos from the ground, from a few angles, for your own records.
Who you call
A tree service gets the tree off. A roofer then covers the opening, and in most cases the roof cannot be covered until the tree is gone, so the tree is the first call to make.
Call Josh at (850) 888-5603. Tell him the address, which part of the house the tree is on, whether any wires are involved, and whether anyone can reach the tree to point out where it came from. Josh will tell you straight what timing is realistic.
How a tree comes off a house
The crew looks at the tree first, before the first cut. The question is where the weight is sitting and what will move when a piece comes off.
A climber then goes up and takes the tree apart in sections, working from the outer limbs toward the trunk. Each piece is lowered on rigging lines instead of dropped, so nothing lands on the roof, the pool cage, the cars or the fence. This is the method that fits most Destin lots, which are tight and full of things you do not want a log to hit.
A tree that has already gone through the roof is more complicated. The tree may be holding up part of the damage it caused, and the crew works around that.
What happens to the wood
Josh cuts the tree and moves the debris to the road. Whether anyone picks it up from there depends on where you live:
- Destin: the city began collecting on October 15 and expects the first pass to take about 17 days.
- Okaloosa County (unincorporated): curbside pickup began October 14. Gated communities are only serviced if the HOA has filed a signed Right of Entry with the county.
- Walton County, including Miramar Beach and Santa Rosa Beach: pickup began October 14 on public and private roads.
- Fort Walton Beach: the city's standing rule is that it does not pick up yard waste from private contractors.
- Santa Rosa County and Milton: a hired contractor has to haul everything away.
The city and county notices we read do not say how contractor-cut debris is handled in Destin or Walton, so ask before you count on it. On big jobs Josh can bring in a sub to haul the debris. If you want that, say so when you call. Our Isaias debris pickup guide has the source link for each rule.
Where the crew is working
Reed Tree Service is based in Tallahassee. The climbing crew is working the Emerald Coast through late October, including Destin, Miramar Beach, Fort Walton Beach and the rest of Okaloosa and Walton counties. The Destin storm cleanup page has what we are doing near Destin right now.
Trees that are still standing but leaning, cracked, or sitting in heaved soil can come down in the next storm. Our guide to assessing trees after a hurricane explains what to look for.
FAQ
Should I call 911 for a tree on my house?
Call 911 if anyone is hurt, if there is a gas smell, fire or sparking, or if wires are down on the house. If nobody is hurt and nothing is burning, call a tree service.
Can I stay in the house with a tree on it?
It depends on where the tree is and how the roof is holding. If the ceiling is sagging, you hear creaking, or the tree is still moving, leave. If the tree is on a porch or a detached structure and the house itself looks sound, you may be fine, but stay out from under it either way.
Who removes a tree that fell on my house?
A tree service. Josh cuts the tree off the house and moves the debris to the road. A roofer handles the roof after that.
Does a tree that fell in the storm count as an emergency?
If it is on the house, blocking your only way out, or touching a line, yes. Say so when you call so Josh can plan around it.
What if the tree came from my neighbor's yard?
The tree still has to come off the house. Who pays for it is a separate question, which we cover in who pays when a neighbor's tree falls on your house.
A tree on your house in Destin, Miramar Beach, Fort Walton Beach or anywhere in Okaloosa or Walton County: call Josh at (850) 888-5603.