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Oklahoma City · Storm cleanup
Storm Damage Tree Removal in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City storm cleanup depends on the storm. Ice breaks limbs across the whole metro at once and the work lasts months. Tornadoes and straight-line wind hit narrower areas much harder. In both cases the first job is separating what is dangerous from what is only messy.
Call availability varies by area and time of day. Calls are answered by an independent tree service provider.
While the ice is still on the trees
- Act now
Limbs are cracking and falling around the house
Stay indoors and away from windows under large limbs. Move cars from beneath trees only if it is safe to walk there.
- Act now
A limb has pulled the service line or meter off the house
Stay away and call OG&E. An electrician must repair the mast before power is restored.
- This week
A limb is on the roof and the roof is intact
Leave it until the ice melts unless it is causing a leak. Working on an icy roof is how people get hurt.
- Plan it
Branches are bent to the ground but not broken
Do nothing. Do not shake or beat the ice off.
- Plan it
The yard is covered in broken limbs
Wait for the thaw, then sort and stack for pickup.
Ice damage and wind damage are different jobs
After an ice storm
- Damage is everywhere, so crews are booked for weeks
- Mostly broken limbs. Trunks and roots are usually intact.
- Many trees can be restored with corrective pruning
- Hangers stay lodged in crowns long after the thaw
After a tornado or straight-line wind
- Damage is concentrated, and crews from outside the path are available
- Snapped trunks, uprooting and twisted crowns
- More trees are a total loss
- Debris includes building material, nails and metal mixed into the brush
Ice calls for patience and pruning. Wind calls for removal and careful inspection of the trees that are still standing.
Limbs on lines and torn-off service masts
In an ice storm, the most common damage to a house is not a hole in the roof. It is a limb that lands on the service drop and rips the electrical mast or meter base off the wall.
Responsibility is split. OG&E owns the line from the pole and will reconnect it. The mast, weatherhead and meter base attached to your house are yours, and a licensed electrician has to repair them before OG&E will restore service.
Tree crews will not cut limbs off an energized line. If a limb is resting on the service drop, the utility disconnects it first. Report it, stay clear, and line up the electrician while you wait. Background is in tree on a power line.
Cleanup order once it is safe
Walk the lot and look up
Mark trees with hangers or cracked limbs. Keep people out from under them.
Clear access
Driveway, walks and doors first.
Bring down hangers
A job for a crew with rigging. Lodged limbs fall unpredictably.
Make proper cuts
Broken stubs are recut to a lateral branch or the collar so they can seal.
Stack debris for collection
Follow the city's announced rules on length and placement. Keep piles away from meters, mailboxes and storm drains.
Which ice-damaged trees to keep
| Condition after the storm | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Lost small and medium limbs. Main structure intact. | Keep. One corrective pruning visit. |
| Lost several large limbs but kept its leader and half its crown | Keep. Plan restoration pruning over three to five years. |
| Main fork split | Remove, or cable and brace if the tree is exceptional and the split is clean |
| More than half the crown gone | Remove, especially Bradford pear, Siberian elm and silver maple |
| Trunk cracked lengthwise | Remove |
More on judging each case in can a storm-damaged tree be saved?
Debris pickup after a declared storm
Following the 2020 ice storm, Oklahoma City and surrounding cities ran curbside collection of storm limbs that continued for months. Similar programs have followed tornadoes.
The rules vary by event and by city, but they tend to share features: limbs cut to a maximum length and stacked at the curb, storm debris kept separate from household trash and building material, and no pickup of debris generated by a hired contractor in some cases.
That last point affects your quote. If the city will haul from the curb, a tree company can cut and stack instead of chip and haul, which costs less. Check your city's announcement, whether Oklahoma City, Edmond, Moore, Norman or Midwest City, before agreeing to haul-off.
Oklahoma City storm questions
How long does cleanup take after a major ice storm?
Urgent hazards are handled in the first days. Full cleanup and corrective pruning across the metro ran for many months after the 2020 storm. Expect to wait for non-urgent work.
Who fixes the electrical mast pulled off my house?
A licensed electrician you hire. OG&E reconnects service after the repair. The mast and meter base are the owner's equipment.
Should broken limbs be cut flush to the trunk?
No. Cut just outside the branch collar, the slight swelling where the limb meets the trunk. Flush cuts remove the tissue that seals the wound.
Is tornado debris handled like ordinary brush?
Not quite. Wood from a tornado path often has metal and nails embedded and may be mixed with building debris. Tell the crew, since it damages saws and chippers and may have to be hauled instead of chipped.
Storm Damage Tree Removal help in Oklahoma City
Call to be connected with an independent tree company that works in Oklahoma City, OK, or request a callback.
(888) 555-0142Call availability varies by area and time of day
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