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Portland Parks & Recreation Staff Keep Portland Moving Through Wild Winter Wind

News Article
Urban Forestry crews deployed a successful rapid response to the weather emergency as wind gusts reached 50 mph.
Published

(Portland, OR) –  

Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R)’s Urban Forestry crews worked around the clock this week to clear roads and keep Portland moving after our intense windstorm. Wind gusts reached 50 mph, bringing down trees and large branches across the city.

A tree on a car parked at the side of a Portland roadway. PP&R Urban Forestry crews have since cleared it. View full size image
A tree on a car parked at the side of a Portland roadway on February 25, 2025. PP&R Urban Forestry crews have cleared this and many dozens more tree-related emergencies citywide, and kept the Rose City moving.

"Urban Forestry crews make it possible for Portlanders to return to work and their daily lives as quickly as possible after a severe weather event," says Portland City Forester Jenn Cairo. "We've built great systems and tools to respond to tree emergencies over the last few years. Combined with our exceptional employees' commitment to public services, we were able to deploy a successful rapid response to this weather emergency. I'm incredibly proud and grateful for our team."

PP&R Urban Forestry teams devoted hundreds of hours to responding and addressing all tree-related hazards on City property. Following emergency response protocols, crews prioritized major roads and thoroughfares before addressing neighborhood streets. Trained arborists ensured paths were cleared for first responders, even if some debris was temporarily left for later removal.

Storm Response by the Numbers

  • 102 tree emergency service requests received by Urban Forestry. Most tree and branch failures impacted public streets and rights-of-way.
  • All impacted streets and rights-of-way are now open for traffic.
  • Tree damage in Portland parks is being addressed, with complete cleanup expected by the end of the week.
  • Ongoing work with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to clear a landslide on NW Thompson. The road is now clear, and efforts are underway to prevent future issues.
Trees and branches across a Portland roadway on February 25, 2025. PP&R Urban Forestry crews have cleared this and many dozens more tree-related emergencies citywide, and kept the Rose City moving., View full size image
Trees and branches across a Portland roadway on February 25, 2025. PP&R Urban Forestry crews have cleared this and many dozens more tree-related emergencies citywide.

"This week's violent winds presented a real challenge for our community with many tree failures in quick succession across the city," said Portland Mayor Keith Wilson. "I want to sincerely thank our Urban Forestry staff for their dedication, expertise, and rapid response to this weather event."

PP&R also appreciates the essential contributions of 311 call takers and PBOT colleagues, who helped report, dispatch, and assist in the field.

How to Report a Tree Emergency on City Property

Please call (503) 823-TREE to report downed trees in roadways or other City property. Call takers are available 24/7 and will dispatch Portland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestry arborists as needed.

NOTE: Falling trees may bring down power lines. Always treat downed lines as live with electricity and dangerous. If you spot a downed line, please call 911 to report it.

Here is a video we'd love for you to share on how our trained pros respond to emergencies involving trees on City property:

youtube.com/watch?v=ZNDoozrnVhM

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