Helena tallies costs from Dec. 17 windstorm; parks, urban forest hardest hit

Helena’s preliminary municipal tally for the Dec. 17 windstorm stands at roughly $25,000 to $30,000, city and broadcast reporting show, with parks damage estimated at about $20,000 and the municipal golf course alone accounting for $10,000 in harm. The storm produced locally reported gusts up to 91 miles per hour and knocked down dozens of mature trees across city parks, open space and public facilities.

Video published by the Independent Record shows a wind-toppled tree crushing a car in a Helena driveway during the Dec. 17 event. City crews cleared a tree at the Helena Civic Center on Dec. 18, and KTVH noted part of the band dome was blown off during the same storm. The parks estimate and the citywide preliminary costs were released this week as crews wrapped extended cleanup operations.

City of Helena parks supervisor Patrick Marron provided the most specific counts: “Multiple trees taken down throughout the city, 41 in parks, 1000+ we figure in our open space areas, and that's just in city limits,” Marron told KTVH. Helenair reporting adds that while the majority of trees lost were spruce, Helena’s urban forest also includes large stands of roughly 80-year-old ash trees and many specimens weakened by rot.

Cleanup and replacement carry separate price tags. KTVH reported the city spends about $450 to clean up each downed tree, while Marron told the Independent Record that replacement trees can run “roughly $400 a pop.” City staff said cleaning up downed trees is time-consuming and that crews prioritized protecting property and clearing roadways; Helenair reports Memorial Park debris pickup was finished nearly two months after the storm and the parks department expects cleanup work to continue into the summer.

The parks department plans to submit insurance claims to replace lost trees and says it generally tries to plant more trees than it removes, a policy that will affect this year’s budget. Marron framed the losses as an opportunity to change planting strategy: “But that does give us a chance to diversify our urban forestry canopy,” he said. “Maybe put trees in a spot that's better suited for that tree, move them farther away from infrastructure and neighbors' houses so if this does happen again, it's not gonna cause as much damage.”

Community groups also responded. Easternprogress published photos of members of Narrate Church splitting wood from city parks and donating it to families in need for home heating. Lewis and Clark County has launched a damage survey to document broader impacts beyond city property. Final municipal totals remain provisional as insurance claims are prepared and county assessment work continues.