After ice, heavy wet snow or a wind event, the damage can be a limb through a gutter, a split trunk over the driveway or a whole tree on the garage roof. Sorting out what's urgent from what can wait a few days makes the next call easier.
First, the wires
- A line is down or a tree is on a wire: call 911, then Consumers Energy at 800-477-5050. Don't touch the branch or the line.
- Keep your distance. Storm coverage in 2023 passed on the advice to stay at least 25 feet from downed lines and keep children and pets away.
- Non-emergency hazard: a tree leaning toward the lines can be reported with the utility's online Report a Tree Hazard form.
What the February 2023 ice storm looked like
The Battle Creek Enquirer reported an ice storm that left about half an inch of ice over Michigan's southern counties, with more than 8,000 downed wires and more than 250,000 Consumers Energy customers affected. Two days later nearly 16,000 Calhoun County customers were still without power, including about 21 percent of the utility's 9,697 customers in Battle Creek and 923 in Marshall.
Both cities ran storm debris pickups afterward. Battle Creek asked residents to put branches and limbs at the curb by the following Wednesday and said debris could be dragged to the road without being cut up. Marshall wanted brush curbside by 7 a.m. Monday, with limbs under 4 inches in diameter and no longer than 6 feet. Those were one-time storm rules; after the next big storm, check what each city announces.
Snow load
Battle Creek's 1991-2020 normals put average snowfall at 64.6 inches a year, and the record low is minus 24 degrees Fahrenheit. A tree that's already weak, such as a dead ash or one with a split leader, is the one to have looked at before that weight arrives.
Prices after a storm
| Job | Angi, Oct 2026 (national) |
|---|---|
| Emergency removal | up to $5,000 |
| Fallen or uprooted tree | $300 to $500 |
| Average removal, any kind | $750 |
Angi notes higher demand after storms and lists closeness to structures among the main price factors, so a tree lying on a garage is a bigger job than one lying in open lawn.
Photos help
Before anything gets moved, take pictures from a few angles. They help a contractor quote without a site visit, and your insurer may ask for them.