JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Residents in the Jackson-metro area started the cleanup process from Monday night’s severe weather. The storms left behind downed trees and scattered debris.

Russell Bourland, owner of Tri-County Tree Service, said the saturated ground from recent rain paired with the intense wind made it easier for trees to topple.

“This time of the year is common for the storms to roll through this area. The grounds get soft. The winds hit the trees. And then they just do what they do. They come over. A lot of times they happen to fall on a house. And when that happens as a homeowner, there is a lot of misconceptions that happen. People think they need to call the insurance company first. They need to get three different quotes. And that is not really the case. As the homeowner, your responsibility that you sign onto when your insurance is to mitigate damage,” said Bourland.

Once a tree has fallen, it is important to protect your property and contact the necessary entities to ensure no further damages are sustained.

“First thing you need to do, you have a responsibility to protect your property. So, whatever it takes to protect your property, whether it be a tarp or calling in water mitigation, that’s obviously the priority, is being able to save your save your property as much as you can. The second thing you would want to do is reach out to your insurance company. Typically, they have an 800 number, or you can reach out to them through their websites and generate a claim number. And from that point, once you have a claim number, we can take everything from there,” said Keith Chandler, claims manager for Tri-County Tree Service.

For more information on tree cutting services, you can visit their website.