Falling trees and branches are a major hazard during storms, so some Hudson Valley homeowners are taking proactive measures to prevent this ahead of the next storm.

Companies like Westchester Environmental Tree service have received a lot of calls these past few from residents who want to avoid the danger and do some tree maintenance. Owner Gerard Chacon and some of his crews were in Yonkers today trimming trees in advance of the deep freeze and winter storm predicted for this weekend.

Chacon says he gets numerous calls after a storm about damage done to roofs or a car. He recommends taking the proactive approach to tree maintenance to avoid the headache of dealing with insurance after the fact.

Eighteen percent of the falling tree deaths identified in a 2008 study happened while people were at home.

And although you may think of the more windy storms like hurricanes or tornadoes as the ones causing these deaths, trees and branches can fall during a mildly windy storm.

When the temperatures drop, trees and branches freeze and can be easily snapped in half with a small gust of wind. It's those fallen trees and branches that often cause power outages as they land on power lines.

Tree removal experts say you should never try and cut down any branches that are close to or touching a live power line - always call your local utility company and let them check it out.