Signs You Need Storm Debris Cleared Now
- A driveway or access road blocked by downed trees or large limbs
- A yard covered in broken branches and brush after high wind or ice
- Standing dead or split trees left leaning after a storm, still a fall risk
- A hillside or fence line choked with slash and brush blocking access
- Storm debris piling up with no practical way to haul or burn it yourself
- A property that needs to be cleared before other repair work, like grading or wall rebuilding, can begin
Clearing Access First, Then the Rest of the Property
The first priority after a storm call is always getting access open - clearing the driveway or road so emergency vehicles, delivery trucks, and your own vehicles can move, and confirming no leaning or hung-up trees pose an immediate fall risk near the cleared path. Larger downed trees are cut and moved with chainsaws and a skid steer or small excavator; standing damaged trees that are a continuing hazard are dropped in a controlled direction away from structures and power lines before mulching begins.
Once access is safe, we bring in a tracked forestry mulcher - a horizontal-drum or drum-head attachment mounted on a skid steer or compact track loader - to grind brush, small-diameter trees, and slash directly into mulch on the ground. This is dramatically faster than cut-pile-haul for storm cleanup because the material never has to be loaded, trucked, and dumped elsewhere; it becomes a ground-level mulch layer on site that also helps control erosion on the cleared ground until permanent groundcover is established.
- Access clearing prioritized first - driveways, roads, and paths
- Hazard-tree assessment for leaning or hung-up trees near cleared areas
- Controlled tree removal with chainsaws and skid steer or excavator support
- Tracked forestry mulcher grinding brush and slash into on-site mulch
From Cleanup to Long-Term Property Recovery
Forestry mulching does more than clean up storm damage - it is also how we open overgrown property lines, reclaim brushy hillsides, and clear understory brush for a project like hillside excavation and terracing or new grading without the cost of hauling every stick off site. Larger merchantable logs are separated and can be left on site or removed depending on what the property owner wants, while the ground-level mulch layer left behind knocks back erosion and suppresses regrowth of invasive brush for a season or more.
We run storm response crews throughout Clarkesville and the surrounding foothills, where ice storms and downburst winds regularly bring down trees across long, wooded driveways. If the storm also damaged grading or a retaining wall on the property, we coordinate debris clearing directly with our emergency hillside washout repair crews so the site moves from cleanup straight into structural repair without a second mobilization.
- Mulch layer left on site to control erosion and suppress brush regrowth
- Merchantable logs separated and left or removed per property owner preference
- Coordination with hillside and wall repair when storm damage is structural
- Overgrown property lines and hillsides cleared as a byproduct of storm response
Mulcher Specifications and How We Handle Hazard Trees Safely
Our tracked forestry mulchers run drum or disc cutting heads capable of processing standing material up to roughly 8 to 10 inches in diameter in a single pass, mounted on skid steers or compact track loaders in the 75 to 100 horsepower range, which gives us the torque to grind dense hardwood slash rather than just chip the small stuff and leave larger material behind. Mulched material is reduced to a consistent 1 to 3 inch particle size that breaks down naturally and knits into the topsoil over a season or two, rather than sitting as large chunks that smother regrowth or wash downhill.
Hazard trees - anything leaning, split, or hung up in a neighboring tree's canopy after a storm - are assessed for lean direction, root plate condition, and tension in broken limbs before a chainsaw ever touches them, since a storm-damaged tree can behave unpredictably compared to a healthy one being felled on a normal clearing job. We use directional felling technique and, where a tree is too compromised to fell safely in the open, sectional removal from the top down, keeping crew and equipment out of the fall zone at every stage.
- Tracked mulchers processing standing material up to 8 to 10 inches diameter in a single pass
- 75 to 100 horsepower carriers for grinding dense hardwood slash, not just chipping small brush
- Mulch reduced to a consistent 1 to 3 inch particle size that breaks down naturally
- Hazard-tree assessment for lean, root condition, and limb tension before any cutting begins
Our Process
- 1
Emergency Call & Access Assessment
We assess blocked access and any immediate falling-hazard trees near the property.
- 2
Hazard Tree Removal
Leaning or damaged trees posing a fall risk are dropped in a controlled direction first.
- 3
Access Clearing
Driveways and roads are cleared of downed trees and debris so the property is reachable.
- 4
Forestry Mulching
Remaining brush, slash, and small trees are ground into mulch on site with tracked mulching equipment.
- 5
Site Cleanup & Handoff
We clear final debris, confirm access and safety, and coordinate any follow-on structural repair needed.
Materials & Equipment
- Tracked forestry mulchers on skid steer or compact track loader carriers
- Chainsaws and rigging for controlled hazard-tree removal
- Skid steers and mini excavators for debris handling
- Dump trucks for merchantable log or debris haul-off
- Erosion control matting for cleared, exposed ground
What Affects Your Price
Every mountain and lakefront project is different. These are the factors we weigh in a free on-site estimate — no fixed price fits every property.
- Acreage or linear footage of driveway and property to be cleared
- Number and size of downed or hazard trees involved
- Density of brush and slash requiring forestry mulching
- Whether merchantable timber is separated and hauled or left on site
- Site access for mulching and removal equipment
- Coordination with structural repair if storm damage is not limited to vegetation
Why Choose Kipps Kustom Landscapes for Storm Debris Clearing & Forestry Mulching
24/7 Storm Response With Our Own Mulching Equipment
We run 24/7 emergency storm response with our own tracked forestry mulchers and skid steers, so a downed-tree call is not stuck waiting on a rental yard during the same storm that has every rental unit in the county already checked out.
15+ Years Clearing Mountain Storm Damage
Since founding the company in 2010 we have cleared driveways and hillsides after ice storms and downburst winds throughout Habersham County, so our crews know how to read a hung-up or leaning tree safely before the first cut.
One Crew for Cleanup and the Structural Repair That Follows
When a storm also damages a retaining wall or grading, the same company that clears the debris can move straight into the [emergency hillside repair](/emergency-hillside-washout-repair/) or wall shoring work, without a second contractor mobilization.
Free Assessment Even on an Urgent Call
We evaluate access, hazard trees, and clearing scope on site and give you a written line-item estimate before mulching begins, even when the call is urgent.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Access clearing is our first priority on any storm call, and we mobilize as quickly as crew and equipment allow. Call (323) 606-0255 directly for the fastest response after a storm.