Storm Hit Your Yard? Here’s Exactly What to Do in the First 24 Hours in Calgary

If you have lived in Calgary for more than a year, you already know the drill. One minute it is sunny and calm, and the next you have got golf ball-sized hail hammering your garden, a chinook wind flipping your patio furniture or a heavy spring snowfall snapping branches that have been standing for thirty years. Calgary weather does not mess around.

But once the storm passes and you step outside to survey the damage, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Where do you even start? What is urgent? What can wait? What are you not supposed to touch yet?

So here is what to actually do in those first 24 hours, in order. If you need help fast, Calgary Tree Works offers emergency response for storm-damaged trees.

Hour 1 to 2: Seriously, Do Not Go Outside Yet

We know. You want to see what happened. But the first thing to do after a storm is not cleanup. It is making sure it is actually safe to go out.

Check for downed power lines first. Look out your window before you open the door. If you can see a line down anywhere on your property or in the alley, stay inside and call ENMAX or 311 right away. Do not go near it, do not let your kids near it and do not assume it is dead just because it is not sparking. Keep a 10-metre distance until the professionals have cleared it.

Look up before you walk under any trees. After a windstorm, broken branches do not always fall. Sometimes they hang up in the canopy, held in place by other limbs, just waiting. These are called widow-makers and it is not a nickname they gave themselves. Before you walk under any tree on your property, actually stop and look up. If you see anything hanging, cracked or partially split overhead, stay out of that area until an arborist can get eyes on it. This is one of the reasons trees suddenly fall over with no warning.

Do a scan from the doorway. Before you head out, take a minute to look over your yard from a safe distance. Is there a branch on your roof? A fence leaning against your gas meter? Any obvious damage to your home or outbuildings? Make a mental note (or a real one) before the adrenaline wears off. You will want that information later when you are talking to your insurance company.

Hour 2 to 4: Get Out Your Phone and Document Everything

Once you are sure it is safe, resist the urge to start cleaning up. Your first job outside is documentation, not cleanup.

Take photos and video of everything. Walk the full perimeter of your property and shoot from multiple angles. Get wide shots that show the overall scene and close-ups of specific damage like broken branches, crushed fencing, dented siding or flattened garden beds. More photos than you think you need is always the right call here.

Write down the basics. Note the time the storm hit, any weather warnings that were in effect and a rough description of what happened. If there were Environment Canada alerts for your area, screenshot those too. Calgary residents can also check past weather data through Alberta Environment and Protected Areas to back up a claim.

Do not move the big stuff yet. It is really tempting to start hauling debris to the curb, but hold off on anything significant until you have spoken to your insurer. Your adjuster may need to see the damage as is before you start removing it. Give them a call first and ask what they need from you before cleanup begins.

Hour 4 to 8: Take a Good Hard Look at Your Trees

Trees take the worst beating in a Calgary storm. What you do in those first few hours can mean the difference between saving a tree and losing it, or worse, having it come down on something.

Figure out what you are actually dealing with. A snapped branch near the top of a tree is a very different situation from a tree that is split at the trunk or started heaving at the roots. Minor branch breakage might be manageable. A structurally compromised tree is a danger to your property and anyone who gets near it. These are among the signs your tree needs professional attention.

Call an arborist for anything that looks serious. This is not the time to Google how to remove a tree and have a go with a chainsaw. If a tree has suffered major structural damage, get an ISA-certified arborist out to assess it. You can find certified arborists in Calgary through the ISA’s online directory. They will tell you honestly whether the tree can be saved with proper pruning or whether it needs to come down. And nobody ends up in the emergency room.

Smaller stuff you can handle yourself. If you have got branches under about 10 cm in diameter already on the ground, you can cut those up yourself with a handsaw or small chainsaw as long as you are wearing the right gear. Stack them neatly at the curb for yard waste pickup or drop them at a City of Calgary compost site.

Know the bylaw before you cut anything down. The City of Calgary has rules around tree removal, especially for trees near boulevards or on public property. If there is any question about whether a tree is yours to remove, call 311 and ask first. Getting it wrong is a much bigger pain than a two-minute phone call.

Hour 8 to 12: Work Through the Rest of the Yard

With the tree situation handled, go around your yard and check everything else.

Walk your fence line. Calgary windstorms are brutal on fences. Check for leaning posts, broken boards or whole sections that have come down. If a section is down along a street or alley, do a quick temporary fix to make sure no one walking by gets hurt. If the fence is shared with a neighbour, give them a heads up before you start making any changes.

Check your deck and outbuildings. Look over any decks, pergolas, sheds or garage structures for signs of impact. Look for broken hardware, shifted footings or anything that looks out of place. Hail damage can be subtle at first but it does not stay subtle. Left alone, it becomes a rot problem.

Clean out your gutters and downspouts. This one catches people off guard. After a storm, gutters fill up fast with leaves, twigs and debris. If they are clogged and more rain is on the way, water backs up and can find its way toward your foundation. Calgary spring storms are especially bad for this since you have got wet snow or rain mixing with freshly leafed-out trees.

Give your lawn and garden beds some attention. Heavy hail compacts soil and shreds plant material. Gently lift any flattened perennials and try not to walk on waterlogged grass if you can help it. Compacted soil takes a while to recover and you do not want to make it worse. If a large tree was removed as a result of the storm, see our guide on what happens to your lawn after a large tree is removed.

Hour 12 to 24: Start Getting Things Sorted

By now you have got a pretty clear picture of what you are dealing with. Time to move from assessing to actually dealing with things.

Call your insurance company. Do not put this off. Most Alberta home insurance policies cover sudden storm damage including damage from fallen trees. Call your insurer, open a claim and ask them exactly what documentation they need before you proceed with any major cleanup or repairs. Coverage varies, so it is worth knowing upfront what is included and what is not.

Check the City of Calgary website. The City runs a storm response program and often activates additional resources after significant weather events. Head to calgary.ca or follow @CityofCalgary for updates on debris pickup schedules, road closures and any extended yard waste programs that might be running. Check before you load up the truck.

Line up contractors early. After a big storm, every arborist, fence company and contractor in the city gets slammed with calls. If you need professional help, reach out sooner rather than later. Get a few quotes and make sure whoever you hire is licensed and insured before any work starts. Learn more about the risks of hiring uninsured tree service contractors.

Think about what you would do differently next time. Once the stress settles, have an honest look at your yard. Were there trees that had been looking weak for a while? A fence post that was already wobbly? Storm season in Calgary runs from spring right through fall, and a bit of proactive maintenance before the next one can save you a lot of trouble. It is also a good time to dig out your home insurance policy and actually read through what is covered. This is also a good time to review fast-growing trees in Calgary, since they tend to be the most vulnerable in storms.

A Final Word

Calgary weather keeps everyone humble. But a storm does not have to turn into a weeks-long headache if you know what to do first. Take it one step at a time and call in help for anything that is out of your depth.

And if you are unsure about anything, whether it is a tree that is making you nervous or a contractor you are not quite sure about, call 311. The City’s staff know their stuff and no question is too small.

Need professional yard cleanup or tree assessment after a storm? Hire ISA-certified arborists and licensed contractors in Calgary. It is the only way to know the job was done right. Get in touch with Calgary Tree Works for emergency storm response.