What should I do first when a storm drops a tree?
- Keep people and pets clear of any line. A limb lying on a service drop or a pole line is your provider's job. GVEC says homeowners should never try that work themselves (checked Nov 14, 2026), and Texas law keeps people and tools six feet from high-voltage lines unless the danger is guarded against.
- Call the electric provider. GVEC is at 800.223.4832. If the City of Seguin is your provider, its main line is 830-379-3212 (both checked Nov 14, 2026).
- Take pictures before anything moves. The roof, the fence, the car and the tree, from a few angles.
- Call your insurance company. What policies usually cover is below.
- Report damage to the county when it asks. Guadalupe County's emergency management page points residents to iSTAT, the state damage survey at damage.tdem.texas.gov (checked Nov 14, 2026).
- Line up the tree work in writing. Get the scope and price on paper before anyone starts cutting.
Does homeowners insurance pay for a fallen tree in Texas?
Often, but not always. The Texas Department of Insurance, in a Jan 24, 2026 post, says (checked Nov 14, 2026):
- many policies pay for damage from falling objects, trees included;
- many policies give some coverage to remove trees or limbs that came down in a storm;
- trees and limbs that simply fall in your yard usually aren't covered;
- if your neighbor's policy won't pay, you can file under your own;
- a tree on your car is a matter for the car's comprehensive coverage.
An older TDI column (Feb 2023) adds that your neighbor isn't responsible for acts of nature, so a neighbor's homeowners policy probably won't cover the damage and removal unless the neighbor was at fault, and that your own policy should cover the materials and labor for repairs. Neither TDI page gives a dollar limit for debris removal; your policy and your adjuster set that.
Does a storm-damaged tree need a city permit in Seguin?
No. Sec. 5.2.8.B.2 of the Unified Development Code exempts "removal and/or pruning of trees as a result of a disease, storm, fire, accident or other act of nature," and Sec. 5.2.8.B.4 exempts trees that endanger the public and need to come out right away. Platted single-family lots are exempt in any case (Sec. 5.2.8.B.5). Under Texas Local Government Code §212.905(h), no city may forbid removing, or charge a mitigation fee for, a tree posing an imminent or immediate threat to people or property, with an exception for property within five miles of a federal military base in active use as of Dec 1, 2017 (all checked Nov 14, 2026). Seguin tree permit rules.
Which storms have hit trees around Seguin?
Guadalupe County has been named in federal disaster declarations for the October 1998 floods (FEMA-1257-DR), the October 2015 storms and flooding (DR-4245), Hurricane Harvey in 2017 (DR-4332), the February 2021 winter storm (DR-4586), the spring 2024 storms (DR-4781), and the July 2025 storms and flooding (DR-4879), per FEMA and the Federal Register (checked Nov 14, 2026). The weather service records fill in what those looked like on the ground.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| Oct 17–18, 1998 | The NWS estimated over 30 inches of rain over a small area south of San Marcos in 36 hours, and reported homes along the Guadalupe River from Canyon Lake to Seguin washed off their foundations. One of its photos is captioned "Seguin - Pecan Grove Estates." |
| Feb 10–18, 2021 | Snow reports of 3.0 inches 1 mile south-southwest of Seguin on the morning of Feb 15, 6.0 inches southeast of Kingsbury and 5.0 inches north-northwest of Cibolo. San Antonio International Airport stayed below freezing for 4 days 12 hours. The county judge and Seguin's mayor signed disaster declarations on Feb 15, and Seguin had about 80 power outages across the city (Seguin Gazette). |
| Mar 21, 2022 | An EF2 tornado touched down at 5:48 p.m. just east of Kingsbury and lifted at 6:08 p.m. northeast of Stairtown. The NWS says it did substantial damage to trees and damaged homes and barns; the parent storm tracked east along I-10 toward Seguin. ABC News 4 reported up to two dozen homes damaged. |
| July 2025 | Intense rain caused rapid, widespread flooding starting July 5. County Judge Kyle Kutscher signed a local disaster declaration on July 7, and the county was later added to federal declaration DR-4879 for individual aid (county OEM; Seguin Today, Aug 4, 2025). |
| May 26, 2026 | An EF1 tornado with peak winds estimated at 105 mph ran 2.92 miles, up to 70 yards wide, from 3 miles north to 4 miles northeast of New Berlin between 10:20 and 10:25 p.m. The NWS found the worst damage north of Kunde Road, "with widespread tree damage surveyed." No deaths or injuries. |
| July 15, 2026 | The county issued a declaration for severe storms, later extended 30 days to allow time for assessments (county OEM; checked Nov 14, 2026). |
For the February 2021 storm alone, FEMA's page shows $202,942,853.81 approved statewide through its Individuals and Households Program (checked Nov 14, 2026).
Why do trees tip over in Seguin's clay?
Parts of the county sit on deep shrink-swell clays; the USDA describes the Houston Black series as very slowly permeable, with cracks up to 4 inches wide (checked Nov 14, 2026). Clay that drains slowly stays soft after days of rain, and a tree standing in soft, waterlogged ground has less grip when the wind hits its crown. So a storm that follows heavy rain is more likely to tip a whole tree over, roots and soil together, than one that arrives after a dry spell.
Hackberry is on Seguin's list of species the city doesn't protect, so it needs no permit to remove even on land where other trees would.
How can I avoid storm-chaser trouble?
Two Texas laws matter most after a storm.
Price gouging. The Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act makes it unlawful to take advantage of a disaster declared by the Governor under Chapter 418 of the Government Code, or by the President, by charging an exorbitant or excessive price for necessities, a list that names fuel, food, medicine, lodging, building materials and construction tools. The Texas Attorney General can prosecute, and you report it by filing a consumer complaint online (checked Nov 14, 2026).
The three-day cancel rule. Texas Business and Commerce Code Chapter 601 covers sales over $25 when a merchant personally solicits you somewhere other than the merchant's place of business, such as your front door. The window to cancel closes at midnight on the third business day, and nothing in the chapter carves out emergency repairs. The Federal Trade Commission's Cooling-Off Rule is narrower here: it excludes emergency sales and the repair or maintenance visits you asked for (both checked Nov 14, 2026).
Practical steps: get a written price and scope before work starts, don't sign at the door under pressure, and read before you hire for what the agreement should cover.
Storm questions from Seguin homeowners
My neighbor's tree fell on my roof. Whose insurance handles it?
Usually yours. TDI says a neighbor isn't responsible for acts of nature, so their policy probably won't cover it unless they were at fault, and you can file under your own policy (checked Nov 14, 2026).
Can I burn the storm debris?
Outside city limits, only when no county burn ban is in effect; the county lifted its last ban effective Oct 31, 2026 (checked Nov 14, 2026). Inside Seguin, the city collects brush at the curb, so check with the city first. Burning rules.
Who comes out for a tree on the house?
Call or send a request marked "Storm damage." It goes to one independent contractor working in Seguin and Guadalupe County, who sets the price and does the work. The number is (830) 406-4266.
Sources: Texas Department of Insurance blog (Jan 24, 2026) and column (Feb 2023); GVEC; City of Seguin; Guadalupe County OEM; Seguin Unified Development Code; Texas Local Government Code §212.905; FEMA DR-4245, DR-4332, DR-4586, DR-4781, DR-4879; Federal Register, Nov 6, 1998; NWS Austin/San Antonio on the 1998 flood, the February 2021 winter storm and the Mar 21, 2022 tornado; NWS damage survey, May 27, 2026; Seguin Gazette via Seguin EDC; ABC News 4; Seguin Today; USDA NRCS, Houston Black; Seguin plant lists; Texas Attorney General; Texas Business and Commerce Code ch. 601; FTC Cooling-Off Rule; Guadalupe County Fire Marshal; HomeGuide. All checked Nov 14, 2026.