Contract crews begin targeted tree maintenance after December windstorm at Mount Helena

City of Helena contract crews began targeted tree maintenance in the northwestern corner of Mount Helena City Park to address windthrown trees left by the mid‑December storm that ripped through Helena. The city announced the work March 4, 2026 as crews focus on trees toppled or destabilized during gusts that reached 91 miles per hour on Dec. 17, 2025.

The December event produced multiple high‑impact failures across town, including a toppled tree that crushed a car in a driveway on Dec. 17 and a separate tree that fell onto a house on Sixth Avenue on Dec. 18. Lewis and Clark County launched a damage survey after the extreme winds to help tally public and private losses.

Parks operations will be handled by contract crews hired by the city, with work concentrated in the northwest quadrant of Mount Helena City Park. Patrick Marron, City of Helena parks superintendent, described the park process: "We had to cut the tree, remove the root ball, and then now we’re in the process of filling those holes in with dirt," Marron said. "We’ll hopefully let that settle out, and in the spring, we'll seed or sod those areas and hopefully get them back."

The Mount Helena work is part of a larger citywide cleanup. Marron said, "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." City estimates place the cleanup cost at roughly $450 per downed tree and total municipal expenses so far between $25,000 and $30,000, not including private property damages; damage at Helena’s golf course has been estimated at $10,000. City crews finished stump clearing in parks recently and continue inspections to identify additional hazardous trees.

Operational crews have used chippers and on‑site removal techniques as work progressed; MTN News photographer Joey Biancone documented a chipper breaking down storm trees. The city reports that downed wood that is not rotten is being reused for chips and mulch or donated as community firewood.

City officials are reiterating resident responsibilities and reporting channels. The city will not collect debris from privately owned trees; residents are instructed to take private branches to the transfer station. Priority cleanup items remain removing hanging branches from boulevard trees, clearing limbs or trees leaning on homes, vehicles, or fences, and collecting remaining debris from boulevards. Residents should not cut or remove damaged city trees because broken or hanging limbs may be unstable, and it is not necessary to report downed branches as crews will remove them during the grid‑pattern cleanup. To report boulevard tree damage or request updates, use the My Helena App, call the Urban Forestry Division at 406-447-8426 or email cdaly@helenamt.gov; Parks and Recreation can be reached at 406-447-8463.

Community recovery efforts extend beyond municipal cleanup. Christopher Hurley launched a GoFundMe after two massive trees and a tree house crushed his family home during the storm, and local departments praised first responders for their efforts. "Today has been an exceptionally challenging day for us at West Valley and other responders across Montana, yet we have risen to the occasion with unwavering resilience," a West Valley post said. "I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to the members of our department for their inspiring service and unwavering dedication in the face of extremely hazardous conditions."

Inspections and coordinated removal will continue as the county completes its damage survey and the city identifies remaining hazardous trees on Mount Helena and in open spaces. City officials say contracts are in place and crews are working now to stabilize park sites so seeding or sodding can occur in spring once filled rootball holes have settled.