Storm-Damaged Tree Cleanup in Lubbock
Lubbock storms do their tree damage in three ways: spring wind that splits forks, hail that shreds leaves and bark, and the occasional ice storm that loads every branch in town at once.
First hour after the storm
- If a branch or tree is on or near a power line, stay away from it and from anything it touches, and call the electric utility
- If a line is down and someone is in danger, call 911
- If a tree has gone through the roof, get people out of that part of the house before anything else
- Take photographs of the damage from several angles before anything is moved, for the insurer
- Do not climb a ladder with a chainsaw to cut a loaded or hanging limb; that is how most storm injuries happen
After that, call. A hanging limb, a split trunk or a tree leaning on the house is work for people with ropes and rigging, and the order the pieces come down in matters.
What Lubbock storms actually do to trees
Wind
Sustained spring wind and the gusts in front of summer thunderstorms are the main event here. The record gust at the Lubbock airport is 90 miles an hour, set in May 1952, and a summer storm in late August 2025 left more than 10,000 LP&L customers without power. Wind finds weak forks, hollow limbs and shallow-rooted trees in wet soil.
Hail
Large hail strips leaves and tears bark on the side of the tree facing the storm. The National Weather Service recorded leaves and limbs shredded by golf-ball hail near Reese Center in 1999. Most healthy trees re-leaf; the work afterwards is cutting broken stubs back cleanly so they do not rot.
Ice
Ice is less frequent but does the most widespread damage, because it loads every tree at once. In late October 2020 ice brought limbs down onto lines across the city while many trees still had their leaves, which multiplies the weight. LP&L has said ice is its main worry in a winter storm for exactly this reason.
Getting it cleared
Storm work is priced differently from planned removals. A tree on a house, partly hanging, with the trunk under tension, is slower and more dangerous than the same tree standing, and an estimate after a storm will reflect that. What you can reasonably ask is that the company explains the order of work, and that the estimate separates making the house safe from finishing the cleanup if your insurer treats them differently.
For brush you clear yourself, the City of Lubbock's solid waste division runs citizen convenience stations that take brush, and the city code asks for limbs cut to about five feet and stacked neatly in the alley. Check the current rules with the city or 311 after a big storm, because temporary drop-off sites and pickup arrangements have been set up in the past.
Watch for the storm-chaser crews
After a big wind or ice event, out-of-town crews arrive and knock on doors. Some are fine. The warning signs are a demand for full payment before work starts, no written estimate, no proof of insurance, and pressure to sign today because "your insurance will cover it". A tree on the house can usually be made safe within a day or two by a local company you can find again if something goes wrong.
Storm damage on your property? Call now. Storm calls go to the front of the queue, and a local tree company will make it safe first and price the cleanup in writing.
Common questions
Does homeowner's insurance pay for storm tree removal?
Often when a tree has fallen on a covered structure such as the house or a fence, and sometimes when it blocks the driveway. Many policies cap tree removal at a set amount per tree and exclude a tree that fell in open lawn without hitting anything. Photograph everything and check your policy before the debris is gone.
A limb is hanging in the tree but not down. Is that urgent?
Yes, more than one on the ground. A hanger can fall without warning in the next gust, and pulling it down from below is dangerous. Keep people and cars out from under it and get it taken down properly.
My tree is leaning after the storm. Can it be pulled back up?
A small, young tree sometimes can, staked for a season. A large tree that has tipped and lifted its root plate will not re-anchor and is likely to go over in the next storm. That one should come down.
Can storm cleanup wait a few days?
Brush on the lawn can. A limb on the roof that lets water in, a tree on a fence keeping a dog in, or anything near a line cannot. After a big event every tree company is booked, so call early and be clear about what is urgent.
More tree work in Lubbock
- Tree Removal in Lubbock, TX
- Tree Service in Lubbock: Assessments
- Tree Trimming and Pruning in Lubbock
- Stump Grinding in Lubbock, TX
Also serving
Storm Damage is available beyond Lubbock, across Wolfforth , Slaton , Levelland and Brownfield .
Get an estimate for storm damage
Tell us about the tree and a local tree company will come and look at it, usually within a few days, sooner for a limb on a roof. Answered Mon–Sat, 7am–6pm · storm calls after hours get a call back first thing Or call (806) 515-3071. If a limb is on a roof or a line, call rather than typing.