Jennifer Kipp hasn’t seen such widespread damage from a storm before this week. And she’s been Cleveland’s Urban Forestry manager for 11 years.  

Since Tuesday, her small team of less than 10 has been working overtime to assess the damage from downed trees across the city. The city has contracted private tree-clearing businesses to help. And city workers from all departments are out looking for and reporting downed trees that block the public right of way. 

“We don’t even have a full understanding of the totality of the damage,” Kipp said Thursday.

Kipp said the crews are sent to the areas hit hardest by the storm based on reports they get from the city’s call center and from other city workers. 

“So they’re constantly pivoting because in a storm of this magnitude, you’re still gonna have trees come down like a day later, two days later,” she said. “Almost like the aftershocks of an earthquake. The same thing happens with trees because they’re living things. And once they kind of settle, sometimes that creates more failures.”

Kipp offered some tips on what people should do if they see tree debris, downed trees or downed power lines. 

The most important tip: Don’t go near a downed power line. Call 216-664-2000 to report it. 

What downed trees can the city help with? 

The Urban Forestry Department is responsible for clearing the right of way in public spaces. That includes roads, sidewalks, and the “apron” of a driveway, or where the driveway meets the sidewalk and road. 

The priority has been clearing trees on houses, Kipp said. If a tree from someone’s private property fell on a public right of way, the city can help. 

Kipp encouraged Clevelanders to report any damage they see. Her teams would rather have multiple reports of the same fallen tree than have no reports at all. She said they’ve cleared a couple dozen trees that were not reported. 

To report fallen trees, especially those blocking the right of way, call 216-664-2000. That’s the city’s general call center number. Once you tell them why you’re calling, the call-taker transfers you to the appropriate department. Be advised, you may be on hold for a while.

If a tree fell within private property, the city can’t intervene

If a tree from within your property fell but isn’t blocking the right of way, you should call your insurance company, Kipp said. A quick online search shows most insurance companies cover the cost of removing a tree that caused damage to an insured structure, like a home or vehicle, as long as the tree wasn’t rotting.

If a rotting tree falls and causes damage, insurance companies may consider that negligence and refuse to cover it 

But the extent of coverage depends on each individual’s insurance policy, Kipp said. 

Urban Forestry doesn’t do any clearance work around power lines. If there is a downed tree on a power line, Urban Forestry refers it to Clevland Public Power who determines whether they or FirstEnergy are the provider in that area. That provider removes the electrical hazard and makes sure the area is safe. The Urban Forestry team then clears the rest of the tree.

‘I don’t want people to be afraid of trees’

Tuesday’s storm brought winds of 86 to 110 mph, bringing down otherwise healthy, stable trees.  

Kipp said she hopes this experience won’t cause residents to think they’re better off without trees around. Trees offer many benefits.

“We saw healthy trees showing no signs of any issues whatsoever topple,” she said. “And trees being living things, I don’t want people to be afraid of trees now. They’re living things. They’re very dynamic with their structure and how they can handle wind load.”