The first minutes after a tree comes through your roof are about safety, not cleanup. Get everyone out of the affected rooms and, if the structure feels unstable or you hear creaking, leave the house entirely and wait outside. A fallen tree can keep shifting as its weight settles, and a partially collapsed ceiling is unpredictable. Resist the urge to go climbing onto the roof to assess damage in the dark or in ongoing wind.
Check for the hazards you cannot always see. If the tree took down power lines on its way in, or if any lines are draped across the tree, the trunk, or wet ground nearby, treat the whole area as energized and dangerous. Stay well back and call your utility provider. Do not touch the tree, a fence it is leaning on, or any metal in contact with it. The same caution applies to gas: if you smell anything, get out and call from a safe distance.
Once people are safe, document everything before you move a single branch. Photograph the tree, the damage to the house, and any affected vehicles or structures from several angles. Your insurer will typically want this record, and clear photos taken before cleanup make the claim far smoother. Then call to start the process and ask what they need.
For the actual removal, this is emergency work, and it should go to a crew equipped for it. A tree resting on a roofline has to be lifted and cut in a controlled sequence so it does not drop further into the house. Emergency service in Georgia typically costs 25 to 50 percent more than a scheduled removal, because it often means a night or weekend dispatch, overtime, and added risk. That premium buys the right equipment and the skill to take the weight off your home without making the damage worse. One thing that works in your favor here: Georgia generally allows emergency removal of an imminent hazard without waiting on a permit, though you may still need to document the situation and notify your local authority afterward.