The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation Forestry Service has received more than 5,700 tree emergency calls since an outbreak of severe weather Monday night, including multiple tornadoes in the city.
As of Thursday morning, more than 3,200 requests had been completed, according to the department.
Numerous trees were downed in the city's Near West Side and Ukrainian Village neighborhoods, likely due to tornado damage.
“It's really sad, these trees have been here,” West Loop resident Melanie Carlson said. “I've lived in the neighborhood for almost 15 years and these trees were here before me. Here it is. “I hope they clear it out soon and plant more trees soon because, yes, it’s a very big part of the community. “
For many, this destruction is a sad sight, especially in urban areas with less tree canopy cover.
According to the Chicago Region Trees Initiative, Chicago’s tree canopy coverage is only 23 percent, below the national average for metropolitan areas. The Near West Side has only 10-12% coverage of confirmed tornadoes.
“Mature trees provide the highest level of benefits, both health and environmental,” said Gaby Wagner-Sobrero, environmental justice program manager for the Chicago Department of Environment.
“them [trees] Filtering the air, because they absorb carbon, they almost act as a natural air filter for our air quality,” she said. “More trees means they absorb more carbon and really filter our air and any pollutants that are in the air.
The department said trees also provide cooler temperatures in the summer and are vital in the fight against climate change.
Wagner-Sobrero said the city intends to replace storm-damaged trees on a case-by-case basis, but they may not be as tall or mature as the trees the community lost this week.
The Streets and Sanitation Department launched an initiative called Our Roots Chicago to bring trees to areas with insufficient tree canopy cover. To learn more about the program, click here.
Tree removal requests can be completed on the city’s website.
