Tree Fell on Your Roof? What Myrtle Beach Homeowners Should Do First

When a tree lands on your roof, your first priority is safety — not the roof. Roofs can be repaired. People cannot. Here is what to do in the critical first 30 minutes.

1. Get Everyone Out If There Is Any Structural Concern

If you heard cracking, felt the floor shift, see sagging ceilings, or notice walls bowing, evacuate immediately. A tree heavy enough to penetrate the roof deck may have compromised load-bearing walls, trusses, or rafters. Secondary collapse can happen minutes or hours after the initial impact.

Grab your phone, wallet, medications, and pets. Get at least 50 feet away from the structure. If it is nighttime, use your phone flashlight — do not flip light switches if you suspect water has entered the electrical system.

2. Check for Downed Power Lines

A falling tree frequently takes power lines down with it. Assume any downed wire is live. Do not touch the wire, the tree, or anything in contact with either. Do not drive over downed lines. Stay at least 35 feet away and call 911 immediately if you see downed lines.

If the tree pulled your electrical service entrance (the wires running from the pole to your house), call Santee Cooper at 1-888-769-7688 or Horry Electric Cooperative at (843) 369-2211, depending on your provider.

3. Do NOT Go on the Roof

This is the single most common mistake homeowners make. You want to see how bad it is. Do not climb on the roof. A tree impact can crack decking, break trusses, and create hidden weak spots that look solid from above but will collapse under your weight. Even roofers wait for daylight and use safety harnesses after tree strikes.

4. Turn Off Utilities If Water Is Entering

If rain is coming in through the breach, turn off electricity to affected areas at the breaker panel. Water and electricity are a lethal combination. If you smell gas or hear hissing, leave the house and call 911. Do not use light switches, phones (landline), or anything that could create a spark.

5. Call 911 If Needed

Call 911 if anyone is injured, if there are downed power lines, if you smell gas, or if the structure appears to be at risk of collapse. Horry County emergency services will dispatch appropriate responders. For non-emergency tree situations (tree on roof but no immediate danger), proceed to the steps below.

After the initial shock, you need to make a practical decision: can you stay in the house or do you need to find somewhere else to sleep tonight? Here is how to evaluate the situation.

Signs You Should Leave Immediately

• Visible sagging in the ceiling or roofline — means structural members are compromised
• Cracks in interior walls — especially diagonal cracks near windows or doors, indicating the frame is shifting
• Doors or windows that suddenly will not open or close — the frame has moved
• Creaking, popping, or groaning sounds — the structure is still settling under the load
• The tree trunk penetrated through the roof into the attic or living space
• Multiple rooms are affected — wide-impact damage is harder to assess and more likely to involve structural compromise

Signs It May Be Safe to Stay (With Caution)

• Only branches landed on the roof, not the trunk
• Damage appears limited to shingles and possibly decking in one small area
• No ceiling sagging, no wall cracks, all doors and windows operate normally
• The tree is resting on the roof but has not penetrated through
• No water intrusion despite the damage

When in doubt, leave. A hotel night costs far less than a hospital visit. If you need temporary shelter resources in Horry County, call 2-1-1 (United Way helpline) for local shelter referrals, or contact the American Red Cross Palmetto Chapter at (843) 477-0020.

What to Do If You Stay

If you determine it is safe to remain in the home, stay away from the affected area. Close off damaged rooms. Place buckets under any active leaks. If it is raining, any waterproofing measures you can safely take from inside (plastic sheeting over furniture, moving valuables) will reduce secondary damage. Do not attempt rooftop repairs at night or during a storm.

Having the right phone numbers saves critical time when a tree hits your roof. Here are the essential contacts for Horry County homeowners dealing with tree damage.

Pro tip: Save these numbers in your phone before storm season starts. During a major weather event, cell networks may be congested. Having numbers saved rather than searching online can save valuable time.

If a tree is blocking a public road, call Horry County Public Works at (843) 915-5340. They coordinate road clearing during storm events. For trees blocking your private driveway, you will need to arrange your own tree removal service.

After addressing safety, the next critical step is preventing further damage. Every minute that rain enters an unprotected breach, it is soaking insulation, drywall, wiring, and framing — turning a roof repair into a full interior restoration.

How Emergency Tarping Works

Professional emergency tarping involves covering the damaged area with heavy-duty polyethylene tarps (typically 6-mil or thicker) secured with 2x4 lumber screwed through the tarp into the roof deck. The tarp extends at least 3 feet past the damage on all sides and overlaps the ridge line if the damage is near the peak.

A proper tarp job will protect your home for weeks or even months while repairs are planned and insurance claims processed. A poor tarp job will blow off in the next thunderstorm and make everything worse.

Why Tarping Matters for Insurance

Under South Carolina insurance law, policyholders have a duty to mitigate further damage. This means your insurance company expects you to take reasonable steps to prevent additional harm to your home after the initial incident. Emergency tarping is considered a "reasonable emergency measure," and the cost is typically reimbursable under your policy.

Conversely, if you do not tarp the roof and rain causes extensive interior water damage over the following days, your insurer may deny coverage for the secondary water damage — arguing you failed your duty to mitigate.

DIY Tarp vs. Professional Tarp

We strongly recommend professional tarping for tree damage. Here is why:

• Safety: Getting on a compromised roof next to a tree is extremely dangerous. Broken decking, shifted trusses, and wet surfaces create fall hazards that claim lives every year
• Effectiveness: A hardware store blue tarp held down with bricks will not survive a Myrtle Beach afternoon thunderstorm. Professional tarps use mechanical fastening that withstands high winds
• Documentation: Professional roofers document the tarping process with photos, which supports your insurance claim
• Tree interaction: If the tree is still resting on the roof, tarping around it requires experience and judgment about load distribution

What NOT to Do

• Do not remove the tree yourself — an improperly removed tree can cause the roof to collapse inward. The tree may be acting as a structural brace
• Do not nail tarps directly to shingles — this causes additional damage that may not be covered
• Do not use your leaf blower to clear debris from the roof — standing on a compromised deck is dangerous
• Do not attempt repairs in the dark, during rain, or during active storms

One of the first questions homeowners ask after a tree falls on their roof is: "If it was my neighbor's tree, are they responsible?" South Carolina law on this is nuanced, and the answer is almost always: it depends.

The Negligence Standard in South Carolina

South Carolina applies a negligence standard to tree liability cases. This means your neighbor is only liable for damage from their tree if they were negligent — meaning they knew or should have known the tree posed an unreasonable risk and failed to take action.

Scenario 1: Neighbor's Healthy Tree Falls on Your Roof During a Storm

Your neighbor is almost certainly NOT liable. If the tree was healthy and a storm knocked it down, South Carolina courts classify this as an "Act of God." Your neighbor had no reason to believe the tree was dangerous. Your homeowners insurance covers the damage to your home under your dwelling coverage.

Scenario 2: Neighbor's Dead or Visibly Diseased Tree Falls on Your Roof

Your neighbor may be liable. If the tree was visibly dead, diseased, leaning dangerously, or had a known structural problem, your neighbor had a duty to address the hazard. The key legal test is whether the tree's condition was "open and obvious" — something a reasonable homeowner would have noticed and acted upon. If you previously notified your neighbor about the tree in writing, that significantly strengthens a negligence claim.

Scenario 3: Your Tree Falls on Your Own Roof

This is between you and your insurance company. Tree damage from your own tree is covered under your dwelling coverage just like any other covered peril. Your insurer may pay for tree removal (typically with a per-tree limit) plus the roof repair.

Scenario 4: Your Tree Falls on Your Neighbor's House

If your tree was healthy and a storm caused it to fall, you are generally NOT liable under SC law. Your neighbor would file a claim with their own homeowners insurance. However, if the tree was dead, diseased, or you had been notified of a hazard and failed to act, you could be held liable.

Scenario 5: Shared Trees on the Property Line

Trees growing directly on the property line are legally shared property in South Carolina. Both homeowners have maintenance responsibility. If a shared tree falls, liability analysis considers whether either party knew of a hazard and whether either party maintained their side of the tree.

The Prior Notice Requirement

The strongest factor in any SC tree liability case is prior notice. If you sent your neighbor a letter (certified mail is best) identifying a dead or dangerous tree and asking them to remove it, and they ignored you, you have a strong negligence case if that tree later damages your property. Without prior notice, proving your neighbor "should have known" is much harder.

Note: This information is for educational purposes. For specific legal advice on tree liability in South Carolina, consult a local attorney. The South Carolina Bar Association offers a lawyer referral service.

The way you handle your insurance claim in the first 48 hours can mean the difference between a smooth repair and a months-long battle. Here is the step-by-step process for filing a tree damage claim in South Carolina.

Step 1: Document Everything Before Cleanup

This is the most important step. Before anyone touches the tree, the debris, or the damaged roof:

• Take photos and video from multiple angles — wide shots of the tree on the roof, close-ups of damage points, interior shots of any water intrusion
• Photograph the tree's root ball if visible — this shows whether the tree was healthy or had root rot
• Document the weather conditions that caused the fall (save weather service alerts, news reports)
• Photograph any damaged personal property inside the home
• Take measurements or use objects for scale reference in photos

Step 2: Call Your Insurance Company Immediately

Most SC homeowners policies require prompt notification of a loss. Call your insurance company's claims line the same day if possible. Have your policy number ready. Describe the damage factually — do not speculate about costs or scope. Ask for a claim number and write it down.

Step 3: Arrange Emergency Tarping

As discussed above, emergency tarping is your duty-to-mitigate obligation and is reimbursable. Get the tarp installed, keep the receipt, and photograph the completed tarp job. This documentation shows your insurer you took responsible steps to prevent further damage.

Step 4: Schedule the Adjuster Visit

Your insurance company will assign an adjuster who will inspect the damage in person. Before the adjuster arrives:

• Do not make permanent repairs — the adjuster needs to see actual damage
• Make a list of all damaged areas you have identified
• Compile your photos and videos
• Be present for the inspection and walk through every damaged area with the adjuster

Step 5: Get an Independent Roof Inspection

Insurance adjusters work for the insurance company. Getting an independent assessment from a licensed roofing contractor gives you a professional evaluation of the full scope of damage. This is especially important for tree strikes because impact damage to trusses and decking is often not visible from the surface.

For more on the inspection process, see our guide to roof inspections for insurance claims in South Carolina.

Step 6: Review the Adjuster's Estimate

Compare the insurance adjuster's estimate against your independent contractor's assessment. Common discrepancies include:

• Adjuster misses structural damage (truss, rafter, or decking damage hidden by the surface)
• Adjuster prices repairs below actual local labor and material costs
• Adjuster does not account for code upgrade requirements
• Tree removal costs underestimated

If the adjuster's estimate seems low, read our guide on handling lowball insurance roof claims in SC.

Homeowners insurance in South Carolina generally covers tree damage under your dwelling coverage, but the details matter. Here is what most policies cover — and what they do not.

Important Coverage Details

• Deductible applies: You will pay your deductible before insurance kicks in. SC wind/hail deductibles are often 2-5% of dwelling coverage — significantly more than a standard deductible
• ACV vs. RCV: If your policy pays Actual Cash Value, depreciation is deducted. Replacement Cost Value policies pay the full repair cost. Check your policy declarations page
• Code upgrade coverage: If your roof must be brought up to current building code during repair, standard policies may not cover the additional cost. An ordinance-or-law endorsement covers this gap
• Mold: If water intrusion from the tree breach leads to mold, most SC policies have limited mold coverage. Quick tarping and water extraction are essential

For a deeper look at insurance coverage for roof issues, see our complete guide to insurance coverage for roof leaks in SC.

Once the insurance claim is underway and the tree has been safely removed, the actual repair process begins. Here is what the typical timeline looks like for tree damage roof repair in Myrtle Beach.

Phase 1: Tree Removal and Initial Assessment

A licensed tree service removes the tree from the roof. This is specialized work — the tree must be cut in sections and lifted off carefully to avoid causing additional damage. Once the tree is removed, a thorough roof inspection reveals the full scope of damage including:

• Shingle damage (cracked, broken, missing)
• Decking damage (holes, cracks, delamination)
• Structural damage (broken trusses, cracked rafters, shifted framing)
• Flashing and vent damage
• Gutter damage
• Fascia and soffit damage

Phase 2: Structural Assessment and Engineering

If the tree impacted the structural system (trusses, rafters, load-bearing walls), a structural engineer may need to assess the damage and design repairs. This is common with large trees that fell across the ridge or impacted multiple support points. Your insurance company may require an engineering report before approving structural repairs.

Phase 3: Structural Repair

Damaged trusses, rafters, and decking are repaired or replaced. This work must meet current Horry County building codes, which follow the International Residential Code with South Carolina amendments for wind resistance. A building permit is typically required for structural roof repairs.

Phase 4: Roof Replacement or Repair

Depending on the extent of damage, you may need a full replacement or a localized repair:

• Localized repair: If damage is limited to one area and the rest of the roof is in good condition, a skilled roofer can replace the damaged section and blend it with existing shingles
• Full replacement: If the tree caused widespread damage, or if the existing roof was already near end of life, a full replacement may be the better option — and your insurance may cover it if the damage is extensive enough

Typical Timeline

Total timeline: From tree impact to completed repair, most projects take 3-8 weeks when the insurance process goes smoothly. Storm events with widespread damage can push timelines to 2-3 months due to high demand for both tree services and roofers.

After going through a tree-on-roof emergency, most homeowners want to make sure it never happens again. Here are practical steps for Myrtle Beach homeowners to reduce tree damage risk.

Regular Tree Maintenance

• Annual inspection: Have a certified arborist inspect mature trees near your home every year, ideally before hurricane season (June 1)
• Crown thinning: Reducing canopy density allows wind to pass through rather than catching the tree like a sail
• Deadwood removal: Dead branches should be removed as soon as identified — they are the first to break in any wind event
• Proper pruning: Never "top" a tree (cutting the main trunk). This creates weak regrowth that is more dangerous than the original canopy

Tree Species to Watch in the Grand Strand

• Loblolly pine: The most common tree to fall on roofs in Horry County. They grow tall, have shallow root systems in our sandy soil, and snap in high winds. Any loblolly within striking distance of your roof (measure the tree's height) should be evaluated
• Live oak: Extremely strong trees that rarely fall, but their massive limbs can break in ice storms or hurricanes. Limbs overhanging the roof should be trimmed back
• Water oak: Shorter-lived than live oaks and prone to internal rot that is not visible from outside. Have water oaks professionally evaluated if they are mature (30+ years)
• Sweet gum: Shallow root systems make them vulnerable to windthrow in saturated soil — common after heavy rains
• Bradford pear: Notorious for splitting during storms. If you have one near your house, consider proactive removal

The 1.5x Rule

As a general guideline, any tree within 1.5 times its height of your home could potentially strike the roof if it falls. Measure the tree's height, multiply by 1.5, and if your house is within that radius, that tree deserves regular professional evaluation.

After Hurricane Season Checks

Even if no trees fell during hurricane season, wind events can weaken root systems, crack trunks, and stress limbs without causing visible failure. Have trees inspected after any major storm, even if they look fine. A tree that survived this year's hurricane may have a cracked trunk that fails in next year's thunderstorm.

When a tree falls on your roof, you need a roofing contractor who understands the full scope of the problem — not just the roofing part, but the insurance coordination, the tree removal sequencing, the structural assessment, and the temporary protection that needs to happen before any of that.

What We Do

• Emergency tarping: Professional-grade tarping to prevent further water damage while you navigate the insurance process
• Full damage assessment: We inspect the roof, attic, and structural system to identify all damage — not just what is visible from the ground
• Documentation for insurance: Detailed photos, measurements, and damage reports that give your adjuster (and you) a clear picture of the scope
• Insurance coordination: We work directly with your insurance adjuster to ensure nothing is missed in the estimate
• Tree removal coordination: We coordinate with licensed tree services to ensure the tree is removed safely without causing additional roof damage
• Complete repair: From structural repair to final shingle installation, we handle the full scope of work

Why Local Matters for Emergency Work

After major storm events, out-of-state "storm chasers" flood the Myrtle Beach area with door-to-door solicitations. These contractors are often gone before warranty claims arise. As a locally owned roofing company based in Myrtle Beach, Weather Shield Roofing is here for the long term. We are your neighbors, and we stand behind our work. Learn more about why choosing a locally owned roofer matters in Myrtle Beach.

A tree on your roof is stressful, but it is fixable. The key is acting quickly, documenting everything, and working with experienced professionals who have handled this exact situation many times. Call (843) 877-5539 and let us help you get through it.