--- title: Should a Tree Hit by Lightning Be Removed? url: https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/should-a-tree-hit-by-lightning-be-removed/ business: Battle Born Tree Service address: 6301 US Highway 50 East, Carson City, NV 89701 phone: 775.232.8243 hours: Office Monday-Friday 8:30 am-5:00 pm; phones answered seven days a week; 24-hour emergency service credentials: ISA Certified Arborist WE-11728A on staff; Nevada Business License # 20131580674; fully insured type: Tree service (removal, crane work, pruning, stump grinding, defensible space, snow removal, firewood) --- - [Home](https://battleborntreeservice.com/) - [Questions and answers](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/) - [Tree health and problems](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/) - Should a tree hit by lightning be removed? # Should a tree hit by lightning be removed? Not automatically, but it should be looked at soon. Clemson Extension says some struck trees show no damage right away, while others lose bark in strips or burst, so an arborist's judgment beats appearances. ## What lightning does Clemson Cooperative Extension says steam from rapidly heated moisture can blow bark or sapwood off a tree, and that survivors are often badly scarred, with wounds that let in fungi and wood-boring beetles. Some trees show nothing until later, and root damage from current moving through the tree can go unseen. The extent and type of damage decides whether the tree lives. A tree may stand for weeks and then fail. ## First steps If a tree is split, leaning, on a building or on a line, stay away. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, call NV Energy about a line, then our 24-hour emergency number, [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243). If a limb or the trunk is loose and hanging, keep out from under it. If the tree looks stable, keep people and cars away until it is checked. ## How the decision is made For storm damage, Missouri Extension suggests asking whether the tree is basically healthy and vigorous apart from the damage, and gives half the crown still intact as a rule of thumb. A trained arborist can help determine whether a tree can be saved or must be removed. Our two ISA Certified Arborists look at the trunk wound, the crown and the base, and tell you whether to keep, prune, cable or remove. Removal is the answer when the structure is compromised over something it could hit. We never call a tree safe from a description. See [losing half the crown](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/can-a-tree-recover-after-losing-half-its-crown/). Insurance questions come up after a strike. Take photos before anything is moved and keep the arborist's estimate; your insurer decides what is covered. Our guide to [homeowners insurance and tree removal](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/homeowners-insurance-tree-removal/) lists the questions to ask. ### Sources - [Clemson Cooperative Extension: Lightning and Trees](https://hgic.clemson.edu/lightning-and-trees/) (read October 17, 2026) - [University of Missouri Extension: Caring for Snow-Damaged Trees](https://extension.missouri.edu/news/caring-for-snow-damaged-trees) (read October 17, 2026) ### Talk to the office [775.232.8243](tel:775.232.8243) | Monday to Friday | 8:30 am - 5:00 pm | |---|---| | Saturday and Sunday | Office closed, phones answered | Phones answered seven days a week. 24-hour emergency service. [Free estimate](#quote) ### Keep reading - [Emergency tree service and storm clean-up](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/emergency-tree-service/) - [Warning signs before a tree fails](https://battleborntreeservice.com/guides/warning-signs-tree-failure/) - [Can a tree recover after losing half its crown?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/can-a-tree-recover-after-losing-half-its-crown/) - [Tree removal](https://battleborntreeservice.com/tree-services/tree-removal/) - [Emergencies and storms questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/emergencies-and-storms/) ### Terms on this page [Arborist](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/arborist/) [The full glossary](https://battleborntreeservice.com/glossary/) ### All tree health and problems questions - [Tree health and problems questions](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/) ## Related tree health and problems questions [Why are my aspen trees dying?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/why-are-my-aspen-trees-dying/) [What is the sticky sap dripping from my tree?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/what-is-the-sticky-sap-dripping-from-my-tree/) [Can a tree recover after losing half its crown?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/can-a-tree-recover-after-losing-half-its-crown/) [Why is my tree leafing out late this spring?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/why-is-my-tree-leafing-out-late/) [What are the rows of small holes in my tree's bark?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/what-are-the-rows-of-holes-in-my-tree-bark/) [Why is my cottonwood dropping branches in summer?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/why-is-my-cottonwood-dropping-branches-in-summer/) [Previous question: What are the rows of small holes in my tree's bark?](https://battleborntreeservice.com/faq/tree-health-and-problems/what-are-the-rows-of-holes-in-my-tree-bark/)