After storm damage, it is tempting to just cut a tree back into a smaller, "safer" shape and call it done. Topping, cutting main branches down to stubs, is one of the most common DIY mistakes ArborSafe sees, and it usually makes a tree more dangerous over time, not less.
A topped tree responds by sending out a burst of weakly attached new growth right at the cut points. That new growth grows fast but is poorly anchored, which often means more storm risk in a few years than the tree started with.
Real storm damage repair relies on selective pruning, removing what is actually broken or hazardous while preserving the tree's natural structure. It takes more judgment than a chainsaw and a ladder, but it is the difference between a tree that recovers and one set up to fail again.
Treasure Valley homeowners dealing with storm-damaged trees can request a professional evaluation before reaching for a chainsaw.
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Authentic photo of proper selective storm damage pruning, or a tree recovering well after professional storm damage repair.
Canva text suggestion: "The wrong fix grows back weaker" or "Topping trades one risk for a bigger one"