Arborist cutting through a standing trunk with sawdust spraying

Tulsa, OK · ice and wind

Storm Damage Tree Removal in Tulsa, OK

Ice is Tulsa's biggest tree threat: the December 2007 ice storm left about 3 million cubic yards of debris and took 18 months to clean up. Spring tornadoes and straight-line winds add more. Unlike many cities, Tulsa makes property owners responsible for trees in the right-of-way next to their property, including removing damaged ones after a storm.

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When you need storm damage tree removal in Tulsa

Uprooted, split or snapped trees and hanging limbs after wind, ice or hurricanes.

A tree is uprooted, or the root plate has lifted and the soil is cracked.
The trunk or a main fork is split open.
Large broken limbs are hanging in the crown.
The tree now leans where it didn't before the storm.
Ice or wind stripped most of the crown from one side.

Often needed with: Emergency Tree Removal services, Tree Trimming & Pruning services, Tree Risk Assessment services, Tree Removal services.

Call and we'll connect you with a tree-service provider for storm damage tree removal in Tulsa.

Call about a tree emergency

Storm damage in Tulsa that can't wait?

Call now if you have any of these in Tulsa:

A tree on the house, garage or car
A fallen tree blocking the driveway or road
A tree or limb touching a power line
A tree leaning more than it did yesterday, with soil lifting
Large broken limbs hanging over people or the roof
A storm-damaged tree that could still fall

Lines first: if a tree touches a power line, stay at least 35 feet away and call the electric utility or 911 before anyone works on it.

Call about a tree emergency Emergency Tree Removal services

What storm damage tree removal in Tulsa includes

Assessment: What the tree could hit, its condition, and access.
Job planning: Whether it can be felled or must come down in sections.
Sectional removal and rigging: Limbs and trunk lowered on ropes near buildings.
Crane work when needed: For big or decayed trees over structures.
Brush and debris cleanup: Chipping branches and raking the work area.
Wood hauling or leaving rounds: Agree in advance which you want.
Stump options: Grinding is usually a separate line item.
Property protection: Mats, plywood or careful drops to protect lawns and drives.

What to confirm in a storm damage tree removal quote in Tulsa

Quotes differ mostly in what they include. Ask each provider to put these in writing so you can compare like for like:

Which trees are included: fallen, leaning, hanging limbs
Removing hangers from trees that stay
Hauling debris, or cutting it to the city's curbside size limits
Cleanup pruning of damaged trees you're keeping
Stump grinding for removed trees
Itemizing structure work separately for insurance

Before you call about storm damage tree removal in Tulsa

These answers let a provider in Tulsa tell you on the first call what the job involves and roughly how it'll be done.

How many trees are damaged: And which are down vs. still standing
Type of damage: Broken limbs, hangers, split trunks, uprooted
Anything hit: House, car, fence, lines
Hangers over people or the roof: These go first
Ground conditions: Still waterlogged? Equipment can rut soft lawns
Debris plan: Hauled, or cut for curbside pickup
Insurance: Whether you'll need itemized work and photos

Safety and permission checks

Power lines: stay at least 10 feet from overhead lines (OSHA's minimum distance for unqualified workers) and call the utility; only line-clearance-qualified tree workers cut closer.
Underground lines: call 811 a few days before stump grinding or digging so buried utilities are marked for free.
Permits: ask the city or county before removing or heavily pruning a large tree; protected-tree sizes and street-tree rules vary by place.
Who is responsible: a tree on your lot is usually yours, street (right-of-way) trees are usually the city's, and trees on lines are the utility's to clear.
Doing it yourself: picking up small fallen limbs is a homeowner job; chainsaw work off a ladder, near lines or on anything that could hit a building is not.

Have your answers ready? Call and we'll connect you with a provider serving your area.

Call for tree service

How getting storm damage tree removal in Tulsa works

1
Tell us what's happening
Call and describe the tree, where it is and how urgent it is.
2
Get connected
Your call goes to an independent tree-service provider serving your area.
3
The tree is assessed
The provider looks at the tree, what's around it, and access for equipment.
4
Scope and price are discussed
You get the plan and price directly from the provider, before any work.
5
You decide
There's no obligation; you choose whether and when to go ahead.

TreeRemovalServices.net is a referral service and doesn't perform tree work. How it works

Local conditions

Local storm damage tree removal considerations in Tulsa

What's specific to this work in Tulsa: local storms, trees, access, rules and costs.

Tulsa at a glance

Benchmark: December 2007 ice storm: ~3 million cubic yards of debris
Right-of-way trees: Owner's responsibility in Tulsa
Fail first: Bradford pear, silver maple, Siberian elm
Holds up: Post and blackjack oaks

Last updated October 3, 2026

What the 2007 ice storm taught Tulsa

In December 2007, freezing rain coated Tulsa's trees for days. Limbs and whole trees broke across the city, leaving about 3 million cubic yards of debris and roughly 18 months of cleanup. Bradford pears, silver maples and Siberian elms shattered first, while native post and blackjack oaks mostly held. The city now lists Bradford pear and silver maple among species that can't be used for zoning-code plantings.

Tall trees coated in ice and frost along a street — Tall trees coated in ice along a street.

Who to call after a Tulsa storm

PSO (Public Service Company of Oklahoma) serves Tulsa; never let a regular crew work near energized lines.

Ask the company to grind stumps of removed Bradford pears and Siberian elms too; both resprout, and the new sprouts are just as weak as the trees they replace.

Limbs on power lines

Call: PSO and 911

Right-of-way tree in front of your house

Call: Usually your responsibility

Tree on your house

Call: A tree service and your insurer

Tree blocking a city street

Call: City of Tulsa

After an ice or wind storm in Tulsa
Situation	Call
Limbs on power lines	PSO and 911
Right-of-way tree in front of your house	Usually your responsibility
Tree on your house	A tree service and your insurer
Tree blocking a city street	City of Tulsa

You're responsible for the right-of-way tree

In Tulsa, property owners are responsible for the care and maintenance of trees in the right-of-way abutting their property, including removing dead or damaged ones. After a storm, the broken tree between your sidewalk and street is usually yours to deal with, not the city's.

Ice and storm safety in Tulsa

Do this now

Stay inside during the storm and away from windows on the side facing large trees.
Afterward, look for hangers before walking under any tree.
Check whether your city is running a curbside debris program before paying to haul brush.
Keep all receipts. Tree work may count toward insurance or disaster-assistance claims.

Never do this

Don't run a chainsaw on wood that's bent, pinned or twisted. It can spring violently when cut.
Don't approach any tree near downed lines. Lines can be live even when the power is out.
Don't hire a company that wants full payment before starting.

Storm cleanup in Tulsa, step by step

1
Triage
Walk the property from a safe distance and list trees on structures, trees on lines, blocked exits, and hangers over walkways.
2
Emergency removals
Trees on structures and blocking access are removed first, usually in sections with rigging.
3
Hazard pruning
Hangers and broken stubs are removed from trees that will stay, with clean cuts at a branch collar.
4
Re-evaluate
Once the urgency passes, have an arborist look at the damaged trees that are still standing and decide what to keep.

Tree trunk split and snapped by wind, with the broken top on the ground — A trunk snapped by wind with the top on the ground. A split to the ground like this usually means removal; broken small limbs usually don't.

Tornadoes and straight-line winds

Spring storms snap and uproot trees across the metro. Trees damaged in one season are weaker in the next, so have surviving trees with large broken limbs or cracks assessed rather than waiting for the next ice event.

After a Tulsa storm

Emergency Tree Removal
For trees on houses and lines.
Tree Trimming & Pruning
Reducing weak limbs before ice season.
Stump Grinding & Removal
After removing shattered pears and maples.

Preparing Tulsa trees for ice

Remove Bradford pears, silver maples and Siberian elms near the house before they shatter.
Reduce long, horizontal limbs over roofs and driveways.
Keep limbs off the service drop to your house.
Have trees damaged in previous storms assessed; they're weaker the next time.

Tulsa storm tree questions

Who removes a storm-damaged tree between my sidewalk and street in Tulsa?

Usually you. Tulsa makes owners responsible for right-of-way trees abutting their property.

What trees break first in Tulsa ice storms?

Bradford pears, silver maples and Siberian elms. Native post and blackjack oaks tend to hold up.

What should I plant after losing a Bradford pear?

A sturdier species; Tulsa's prohibited list for zoning plantings includes Bradford pear, silver maple, tree-of-heaven and ash.

How long did Tulsa's 2007 ice storm cleanup take?

About 18 months, for roughly 3 million cubic yards of debris.

Should I knock ice off branches?

No. Ice-loaded limbs snap easily and can fall on you. Stay clear until it melts.

Do damaged trees get weaker after each Tulsa storm?

Often. Broken limbs, cracks and bark wounds don't heal like skin; they leave weak points for the next ice or wind event.

How much does storm cleanup cost in Tulsa?

It depends on how many trees, what they hit and hauling. See the tree removal cost factors.

Who removes storm-damaged trees near me in Tulsa?

Insured local tree services. You can call us to reach an independent provider.

More tree services in Tulsa

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