Assessing Your Trees After a Storm:
Removal or Pruning?
Storm damaged tree removal or pruning in Tulsa depends on what changes after the weather passes. Small broken limbs may point toward pruning, while root movement, a split trunk, a new lean, heavy canopy loss, decay, or contact with a structure may call for removal or a hazardous tree assessment.
A tree can look messy without being structurally lost. Another tree can look mostly upright and have potential problems. An inspection by an ISA Certified Arborist can help determine the best options, whether it be tree pruning, cabling, healthcare, a combination of, or tree removal.
Not Every Storm-Damaged Tree Needs Removal
A broken limb on the ground gets attention fast. Fair enough. It is visible, loud, and hard to ignore. But limb damage is only one part of the picture.
After Tulsa storms, high winds, rain, ice, and saturated soil can affect different parts of a tree in different ways. The canopy may take the obvious hit, while the roots or trunk indicate more important clues.
Tulsa averages about 50 thunderstorm days per year, according to NWS Tulsa, with 94.3 rain days and 40.96 inches of average annual rainfall. That local weather pattern is one reason storm-damaged tree services in Tulsa need to look past appearance only.
In our storm work, a tree with a few broken outer limbs may be a pruning case. A tree with trunk cracking, root movement, or major structural loss may require a different route.
Start With Safety Before Inspecting the Tree
Start from farther back than feels necessary. Hanging limbs, cracked wood, and branches under tension can be hard to read from the ground.
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Avoid walking or standing beneath limbs that are hanging, cracked, or suspended.
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Stay away from any tree or branch touching a power line.
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Keep foot traffic, vehicles, children, and pets away from the damaged area.
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Avoid chainsaw work on leaning trees, loaded limbs, or branches resting on a structure.
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Take photos only from a safe distance, since documenting damage can be helpful.
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If a tree is on a structure, blocking access, or near electrical hazards, emergency tree service may be appropriate.
Signs Your Tree May Only Need Pruning
A tree with storm damage may still have enough structure to stay in place. That is more likely when the broken wood is limited to smaller limbs, the trunk has no visible split, the soil around the base has not lifted, and the canopy still looks mostly balanced.
In that case, pruning is not about cutting everything back. It is about removing damaged limbs carefully while preserving the healthy parts that help the tree recover.
Here are signs that pruning may be enough:
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Broken limbs are mostly small or limited to the outer canopy.
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The trunk does not show splitting, twisting, or deep cracking.
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The tree has not started leaning in a new direction.
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Soil around the base looks settled, not lifted or cracked.
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Most of the canopy is still present.
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The tree is not pressing on a house, fence, driveway, sidewalk, or utility line.
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Damaged branches can be removed without stripping large sections of live growth.
A storm can remove branches from one side and leave the tree uneven. That does not automatically mean removal. It does mean that an assessment by an ISA Certified Arborist is highly recommended to assess potential options.
Proper tree trimming and pruning in Tulsa should follow the tree’s structure, not just the mess on the lawn. Topping is never a good response because it can remove too much live canopy, create weaker regrowth later, and lead to the death of the tree.
Signs Your Tree May Need Removal
Tree removal after storm damage may need to be considered when the tree has root movement, trunk failure, major canopy loss, severe decay, or contact with a structure.
Here are signs that removal may be an option:
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The tree is uprooted or partly uprooted.
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The trunk is split, twisted, cracked, or deeply wounded.
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A new lean appeared after the storm.
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Soil has lifted around the roots.
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Large limbs tore away from the trunk and left major wounds.
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The tree is resting on a home, garage, fence, shed, or vehicle.
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Decay, cavities, fungus, dead sections, or old damage appear near the storm damage.
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A large amount of canopy has been lost.
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The tree stands near a street, walkway, driveway, utility line, or neighboring property.
Root movement deserves special attention. From the ground, a tree may still look “standing,” but raised soil near the base can suggest that the root system shifted. That does not answer the removal question by itself. It does make a closer inspection important.
For tree removal service in Tulsa, the useful question is simple: what part of the tree is still carrying load, and what part has been compromised?
When to Call an Arborist After a Storm
A split branch across the driveway, a broken limb on the roof, or a new lean in the trunk are examples of evident storm damage.
Other signs need a closer look. Branch unions, old wounds, decay, root flare movement, canopy weight, and nearby targets can all affect the tree’s condition. An arborist can assess the full tree, not just the broken limbs.
Location matters too. Tulsa Planning tells residents to consider overhead utilities, foundations, sidewalks, sewer lines, water lines, and gas lines when planting trees. After a storm, that same idea applies. A damaged tree near a house, street, driveway, or utility corridor may need a more careful assessment than one in an open area.
Some Storm-Damaged Trees Require Special Equipment
Some storm-damaged trees require extra care and attention from experts. Oftentimes, equipment is required to help ensure safe work and efficiency while avoiding further damage.
Special equipment may be part of the job when:
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A tree is leaning over a home, garage, or fence.
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Large limbs are resting on a structure or vehicle.
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The tree cannot be climbed safely.
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Access is tight.
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Heavy sections need controlled lifting.
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Debris needs to be moved with limited impact on the property.
Cranes, bucket trucks, grapple trucks, skid steers, and related equipment can help crews handle complex storm damage with more control. In some cases, crane-assisted tree removal may be considered when the tree’s position or condition requires it to mitigate further damage and maintain safety.
Get a Professional Tree Assessment After Storm Damage
Pruning may be enough when the roots, trunk, and main structure appear stable. Tree removal after storm damage may be considered when the tree is leaning, uprooted, split, decayed, or threatening people or property.
A professional assessment is recommended when damage sits close to a home, garage, driveway, sidewalk, street, fence, vehicle, utility line, or neighboring property.
Storm damaged trees in Tulsa can show obvious limb damage and less visible structural concerns at the same time. For a professional storm-damage assessment, contact TREES BY JAKE.
Client Reviews
Absolutely the best! They had a small area to work with and valuable property all the way around them. Nonetheless, their technical skill combined with their state-of-the-art equipment was beyond comforting to watch. The man power behind the skill and equipment was just as impressive! No labor shortage here! I feel so smart for picking Trees By Jake.
(My husband came in and saw all the equipment and teams working, and said, “This is so impressive. Where did you find this team!?”)
angi bowman
A large crew spent 2 fulls days at our property removing trees, trimming trees that were not removed, and installing multiple cables to help with stability. We were impressed every step of the way - from our initial contact with Allison in the office to completion. Jake is a certified arborist and came out and spent a good deal of time with us to discuss options. The estimate we received was professional and made it very easy to approve the work. Any questions we had were answered in a timely manner and we received an insurance certificate showing all of their policies. The men working were friendly and very professional. Our property looks amazing and we will continue to hire them for maintenance.
Lisa Wishman
Wow!! So impressed! From the quote to the time they left, it was totally impressed. Great value for the money. Their equipment is top notch. The techs were professional. I had 6 trees removed, all very close to the house. They made me feel safe as they knew what they were doing.
Would definitely use again and highly recommend Trees by Jake.
Jim Greenlee
We have used Jake Tree Service several times for various projects and have been very impressed with their professionalism and quality of their work each time. We had a very large tree branch blown down after the last storm, blocking our gate. Jake's crew was out the next day to remove it. Thank you, Jake! Your are the best.
Thomas McCoy
I had a large limb fall on my house. The job was more than I could tackle my self. I knew I needed an expert. I called Trees by Jake and they got me taken care of. Great service, cleaned up after the job. Simply great. I highly recommend them. I will be sure to use them again. The price was very reasonable considering the work that had to be done.
John Scatamacchia
We loved our experience with Trees by Jake. Jake and Allison were professional, easy to communicate with, and so personable. The price was very reasonable for the amount of work they did. 10/10 experience. We will definitely use them again!
Cassidy Pierce
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Contact Your
Tulsa Tree Service
TREES BY JAKE has been providing tree removal services in Tulsa for over a decade. Jake is a Tulsa Certified Arborist and we have a variety of equipment to safely and efficiently remove trees. Call or text us today for your free estimate at 918-500-9955 and don’t forget to check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
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