Metro Atlanta tree service crews working to reduce damage as winter weather gets closer to Georgia

With serious winter weather on the way, tree service crews are out working across metro Atlanta to reduce the storm damage. 

On Wednesday, one of Caldwell Tree Care's crews was in Chamblee, working on 60-year-old pine trees that pose a significant threat to a nearby house.

If ice builds up on these tree limbs, they can break off and fall, and worse, cause an entire tree to fall. If it occurs close to a home, the result can be dangerous, even deadly. 

"Once you realize something has happened, come out cautiously, take a look around, evaluate what happened, because there could be live power lines laying on the ground," said Caldwell Tree Care General Manager David Cheek. "Secondly, if you hear occurrence happening outside, if you hear tree limbs breaking and snapping, treat it the same as you would if there were a tornado."

The safest place to be is the middle of a house or a basement. Caldwell's owner, Kevin Caldwell, says trees overloaded by more than 1/2 inch of ice will likely show warning signs — rather, make warning sounds.

"It's going to be eerily like, you're going to hear this cracking and popping of limbs and things failing. You're not going to just see all of a sudden tremendous trees falling all at one time," he said. "It's going to be very slow."

Caldwell recommends homeowners be vigilant, even during a storm.

"Don't just, like, go to sleep and have the ice storm going on. Periodically go out and check," he said.

If a tree is leaning at an angle more than 20 degrees, Caldwell says you "probably need to make an alternative plan to be in another spot."

Trees that fall during storms typically have a previous defect. That's why it's important to have an arborist come out and assess the health of a tree. Also, if limbs fall off a tree during a storm, it doesn't mean the tree is a total loss. Often, through tree restoration, the tree can be saved.