Emergency Storm Tree Service in Honolulu, HI

Emergency storm tree service in Honolulu tends to come in waves. Hurricanes are rare here, but Kona low storms in the wet season, tropical storms passing nearby and strong gusty trades all bring trees down, often after days of rain have soaked the ground. When Lala passed in August 2026, the Honolulu Fire Department logged 147 reports of downed trees on Oʻahu by midday Sunday, and the city later counted about 500 calls for tree debris removal. In those weeks the job is sorting out which trees are a danger and which can wait.

First steps after a tree comes down

Stay away from any tree touching a power line, and treat every downed line as live; call Hawaiian Electric or 911. Do not climb onto a roof with a tree on it, and do not cut a trunk that is under tension, bent or pinned, because it can spring when cut. Take photos for insurance before anything is moved. Then call (808) 746-9674 with the address, what the tree is on, and photos if you can send them. You can call any time to leave details.

How storm work is prioritized

We take calls in order of danger: a tree through a roof or blocking the only exit, then limbs resting on cars or lanais, then trees across driveways, then cleanup of debris on the ground. On a roof, a tree is taken off in pieces, with each section rigged and lowered so the house takes no more weight. A crane is sometimes the safest way to lift a large trunk off a structure when rigging cannot do it.

Which trees fail here

After Lala, the trees reported as failing included albizia, with shallow roots and brittle branches; royal poinciana and eucalyptus, with brittle wood; yellow poinciana in small planting spaces; kiawe in ʻEwa Beach; a century-old banyan at Punahou Square in Makiki; and ironwoods near Kapiʻolani Park. Saturated soil and trees planted in narrow strips lifting out of the ground were common threads. Co-dominant trees, with two or more main stems, are more prone to breaking.

City trees and debris

A tree across a city street or sidewalk is the city's to clear; call 911 if it is blocking traffic or creating an emergency. After Lala, the city offered a special curbside pickup of storm branches and trunks, with pieces up to 9 inches thick cut into 3-foot lengths and thicker pieces into 1-foot lengths. Programs like that are announced after each storm, so check the city's environmental services pages before stacking debris at the curb.