Butler County's largest city, twice rebuilt after tornadoes

Tree Service in Andover, KS

Tree care for a city that knows what a severe storm can do.

We come out and look before we price, anywhere in Wichita and Sedgwick County
Each item on the estimate priced on its own
We confirm where the wood goes before work begins

Andover Has Seen the Worst Storms in the Region

Homeowners in Andover tend to ask for tree service with storms already on their mind. That makes sense. The city has been hit by two of the most destructive tornadoes in south-central Kansas in the last 35 years, and both reshaped its tree canopy.

1991 and 2022

On April 26, 1991, an F5 tornado nearly half a mile wide, with winds over 260 mph, killed 13 people in Andover and left about a third of its 4,300 residents homeless. More than 300 homes were destroyed. Thirty-one years later, on April 29, 2022, an EF3 tornado with estimated peak winds of 155 mph crossed the east side of Andover. NWS Wichita measured its path at 12.75 miles and its maximum width at 440 yards, and it damaged more than 1,000 buildings in Butler County. Prairie Creek Elementary didn't reopen until August.

No pruning job protects a tree from a direct tornado hit. What good tree care does is reduce the everyday storm damage: the 60 mph thunderstorm gusts that come through every spring. During the May 19, 2024 derecho, the Andover fire department estimated 60 mph gusts in town. That's the kind of wind where a well-pruned tree loses a few twigs and a neglected one drops a limb on the car.

A city that grew from almost nothing

Andover had 186 residents in 1960. The 2020 census counted 14,892, and the 2023 estimate was 15,814, making it the most populous city in Butler County. With that growth curve, most homes date from after 1970, and whole blocks were rebuilt after 1991 and again after 2022. So Andover's canopy is mostly young and middle-aged trees, and the work leans toward:

Structural pruning for trees 10 to 30 years old
Crown thinning to cut wind resistance on maples and pears
Removing trees damaged in 2022 that never recovered
Clearing limbs off roofs in the newer subdivisions

Callery pears

Bradford and other Callery pears were planted heavily in suburbs like Andover and they're notorious for splitting at narrow forks. The Kansas Forest Service runs a Callery pear buyback that encourages owners to remove these invasive trees and offers a free native replacement to participants. If you're on the fence about a pear that has already split once, we can remove it and grind the stump so a replacement can go in the same spot.

Along Dry Creek

Andover's first settler arrived on Dry Creek in 1869. Lots along the creek have deeper soil and larger trees, often cottonwood, elm and hackberry, that need a closer look for root and trunk decay.

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Andover Storm and Growth History

1991 F5 tornado. On April 26, 1991, an F5 tornado with winds over 260 mph killed 13 people in Andover and destroyed more than 300 homes, 10 businesses and two churches.
2022 EF3 tornado. NWS Wichita rated the April 29, 2022 tornado EF3 with peak winds of 155 mph, a 12.75-mile path and a maximum width of 440 yards across the east side of Andover.
From 186 to nearly 15,000. Andover had 186 residents in 1960 and 14,892 in the 2020 census, and is now the most populous city in Butler County.
Early settlement. The first settler in the area arrived on Dry Creek in February 1869, and the town took the name Andover in 1880 before incorporating on February 4, 1957.

Our Services in Andover, KS

Andover Questions

My tree survived the 2022 tornado but it looks thin. Should it come down?

Trees that lost a lot of their crown or had roots shifted often decline over several years. Look for dieback at the top, bark peeling off the trunk, or mushrooms at the base. We'll assess it and tell you whether pruning or removal makes more sense.

Can pruning make my trees safer in storms?

It lowers the risk from ordinary thunderstorm winds. Removing deadwood, reducing long heavy limbs and correcting weak forks makes a tree less likely to break. It won't stop damage from a direct tornado.

Should I remove my Bradford pear?

If it has already split or has several narrow forks, removal is usually the practical choice. The Kansas Forest Service encourages removing Callery pears and runs a buyback program with native replacements.

Do you work in the Andover neighborhoods on the Wichita side of the county line?

Yes. We work throughout Andover, including the parts of town that extend into Sedgwick County.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree on my own lot in Andover?

Rules can change, so check with the City of Andover before removing a tree near a street or in an easement. For trees fully inside your own yard, the main things we look at are utility lines, fences and neighbors' property, and we plan the removal around them.

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