Crews work to clear damaged branches from a July wind storm in Missoula

Walking down the street in Missoula’s university district, every tree seems to bear the marks of the storm that tore through the region in late July. Branches of all sizes are loose in canopies, dead leaves still clinging to them. Experts like John Brandon say they pose a real risk to people and property beneath.

“If one them were to fall from, say, you know, 10, 20 feet — well, we call them ‘widowmakers,’” Brandon said.

Brandon is the logistics manager for Greenbelt Turf Management. He and his crew are from Oklahoma, and he said they’ve traveled the country on FEMA contracts — that’s the federal agency that helps fund disaster cleanup. Brandon’s crew has treated hundreds of trees since they got to Missoula in November.

He said his interactions with residents have been “great” so far.

“A lot of times, people will come out — you know, sometimes they’re a bit concerned. ‘What are you doing to my tree?’ You know, they really like their trees in Missoula,” Brandon said. “And, I just explain to them, ‘We’re just coming through. We’re not cutting down trees, we’re just taking down dangerous limbs that are hanging.’”

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Missoulians woke up Thursday morning to pick up the pieces left by a powerful storm that slammed the region overnight.

The work is repetitive and meticulous — take a lift into a tree’s canopy, use saws or hooks to free dislodged branches known as “hangers,” and drop them below for pickup.

Each tree cleared of debris is another yellow mark turned green on the city’s online tree cleanup tracking map. It’s updated multiple times per day and shows the number of trees treated that day and the running total.

Ben Carson leads Missoula’s urban forestry program and has been coordinating the cleanup process.

“We are experiencing a significant decline in the overall canopy of the city,” Carson told MTPR.

Crews are about a third of the way done removing hangers from trees — more than 1,700 have been treated so far, according to Carson. But, there are still more than 200 trees marked for total removal, and Carson said workers are discovering new hazards every day.

The city is aiming to complete cleanup by the end of March, barring any severe winter weather.