Tree Blocking Your Driveway? What to Do When You're Trapped

A tree down across your driveway can trap you at home. How to check for power lines, handle medical needs, and decide between cutting a path and full removal.

You look out after a storm and a tree is lying across your driveway. The house is fine, the car is fine, but you cannot get out. Maybe you have work in the morning, a medical appointment, or a family member who depends on being able to leave quickly. Here is how certified arborists recommend handling a tree blocking your driveway, safely and in the right order.

Check for Power Lines First

Before you walk up to the tree, look up and along its length. Trees that fall across driveways often take down service drops or roadside lines on the way.

• Assume any wire is live, even if the power is out. Lines can be re-energized without warning.

• Stay well back from any wire touching the tree, the ground, a fence, or a puddle.

• Report downed lines to your electric utility and to 911.

If lines are involved, do not cut, pull, or drive over anything. Crews cannot safely work a tree tangled in wires until the utility has made it safe. See what happens when a tree falls on power lines. The Electrical Safety Foundation also has good guidance on downed lines and storm safety.

If Someone Has a Medical Need

If anyone in the home needs medical care, or may need it before the driveway is cleared, call 911 and tell the dispatcher your driveway is blocked. Emergency responders deal with blocked access regularly and can plan how to reach you. Do not wait for a tree crew if there is a medical emergency.

For planning, keep these in mind:

• Tell the tree service about oxygen, dialysis, home care visits, or mobility needs when you call

• Keep medications and essentials inside the house, not in a car you cannot move

• Know whether you can walk out to the road on foot safely, away from the tree and any wires

Look for Other Hazards

• Hanging limbs in nearby trees, which can fall while you are underneath

• that has lifted out of the ground and could shift or drop back