From the tops of Twin Cities area trees, forestry crews see clear signs of trouble

This year also brought four storms with severe wind, one of which was thought to be among the most damaging storms of the past decade. City leaders said crews worked hundreds of hours of overtime as they responded to a deluge of calls reporting trees or limbs that had fallen down and blocked roads.

Ultimately, the damage affected just a small percentage of the public trees. But "any loss of canopy hurts right now with our issues with emerald ash borer and then the drought," Bahe said.

Alissa Cotton, left, and Graham Wessberg, arborists with the city of St. Louis Park, prepare to grind up the stump of an American basswood tree that was damaged in a summer storm. (Leila Navidi/The Minnesota Star Tribune) 'Struggling to keep up' Crews in Minnetonka, which has one of the densest tree canopies in the metro area, have also had an "out of the ordinary year," said city forester Hannibal Hayes.

"We're struggling to keep up with the response to the storms, and so are tree care companies, too," Hayes said.

Local leaders expect to spend more money this year contracting with companies to remove trees, even though the mild winter left city workers with more time to do some removals themselves. In total, the city expects to spend nearly $500,000 responding to storm damage, drought and the emerald ash borer.

The losses have left cities trying to grapple with another puzzle: what to do with all the wood that is left over. Piles of wood waste from metro area trees are growing. Minnetonka has been selling logs to professionals who supply furniture companies and other businesses. The city also purchased a portable sawmill that staff can use to create lumber for their projects.