Right after a tree falls
- Make sure everyone is safe. Leave the house and call 911 if there's structural cracking, a sagging ceiling or a gas smell.
- Keep your distance. Trunks and limbs under tension can move without warning. Leave the cutting to a crew.
- Document it. Take wide and close photos before anything is moved.
- Call your insurer and ask about coverage for tree removal and emergency tarping.
- Request help. Call or send the form with photos, and say whether the tree is on a structure, blocking access, or still shifting.
Why storms hit Federal Way trees hard
Fall and winter windstorms usually come from the south and southwest after long rainy stretches. Tall firs and shallow-rooted hemlocks in saturated soil can uproot entirely, and trees along lakeshores, bluff edges and freshly cleared lots get the strongest gusts. Heavy wet snow and ice are the other big culprit, loading up evergreen boughs and maple limbs until they break.
A note on emergency approvals
Federal Way's single-family handout lets you remove a hazard tree without city approval only if it's outside critical areas, wasn't required to be kept by an earlier permit, and removing it won't change stormwater flow. If your downed or damaged tree is near a lake, wetland, stream or steep slope, contact the Permit Center at (253) 835-2607 as soon as practical. Keep your photos to document the hazard.
Prepare before the next storm
- Walk the property each fall and look for new leans, heaving soil, dead tops, hanging limbs and fungus.
- Look hard at trees on bluff edges, lakeshores and greenbelt edges.
- Get high-risk trees near the house assessed by a qualified pro or ISA Certified Arborist, and get the city's approval for planned work in the drier months.
Free tree estimate for your Federal Way property
Share a few details. One registered, insured local tree service will reach out, usually by the next business day.