Storm-Damaged Tree in Wichita? Here's What to Do

Emergency Guide

First: stay clear and stay safe

Wichita sits in the heart of Tornado Alley, and every spring and summer brings straight-line winds, hail, and the occasional ice storm that drop limbs and whole trees across the city. If a storm has damaged a tree on your property:

• Treat every downed line as live. If a tree is on or near a power line, stay far back and call the utility - never approach it yourself.
• Keep away from the tree. A leaning trunk or hung-up limb is under enormous tension and can shift without warning.
• Document it for insurance with photos from a safe distance before anything is moved.
• Call a pro for anything overhead or leaning. This is not the time for a ladder and a chainsaw.

What counts as an emergency

Call for emergency tree removal right away if a tree is on your house or car, blocking your driveway or the road, leaning toward a structure, or hung up in another tree. These are the situations where waiting makes the damage - and the danger - worse.

Why Wichita storms bring down so many trees

The city's tree canopy was planted on open prairie by settlers and crews after Wichita's founding in 1870 - there were few native trees on the Arkansas River plain to begin with. Much of what grew up was fast, brittle-wooded species like elm, hackberry, and Siberian elm, and a lot of it is now old and over-mature. Brittle, aging trees plus Tornado Alley wind and ice is exactly why a single storm can litter a Wichita neighborhood with damage. For storm recovery resources, the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County post updates after major events.

Related Guides & Services

• Emergency & Storm Tree Removal
• Tree Removal
• Tree Trimming & Pruning

Tree down right now? Call (316) 232-2400 - we answer storm calls.