Tree service in Benton County, Washington

Storm records for Benton County

Storms are rarer here, so most removals in the Tri-Cities are planned jobs rather than cleanup. NOAA logged 57 reports from 2016 through 2026, ranking Benton 33rd of Washington’s 39 counties. High wind leads with 21, wildfire follows at 11, and heavy snow is third at 9.

The calendar is unusual for the state. February (10), December (8) and May (8) are the peak months, and only 49% of reports land between November and February. Spring thunderstorms explain the May bump, with five thunderstorm-wind and two tornado reports in the record.

Activity has dropped: 6 reports in 2023 through 2025 against 19 in 2020 through 2022. The costliest entry was a windstorm on April 27, 2018, which pushed strong gusts through the Gorge and across the Columbia Basin and carried $1 million in damage.

NWS forecast zones covering the county: Lower Columbia Basin of Washington.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2016 to June 2026 · NWS zone-county correlation files (2019 to 2026 versions). Checked 2026-10-02. NOAA Storm Events 2016-2026; zone-based events assigned to every county the NWS zone covers using the zone-county correlation file in force on the event date (2019-04-02 file used for 2016-2018).

Hazard ratings

Strong wind: Relatively LowIce storm: Relatively HighWinter weather: Relatively HighWildfire: Relatively Moderate

FEMA’s National Risk Index (December 2025) rates Benton County Relatively Moderate overall, with ice storms (89.3) and winter weather (92.0) both Relatively High, wildfire Relatively Moderate and wind Relatively Low. Wildfire risk to homes is higher than in 82% of Washington counties.

The gap between a light storm record and those ratings reflects how FEMA weighs what is exposed, and the county grew 7.18% in five years. In practice the ratings mean pruning weak limbs before winter and keeping dry brush and dead trees away from houses on the edge of open land. See the defensible space guide.

Wildfire risk to homes: higher than 82% of Washington counties (USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities).

What to do about wildfire exposure: defensible space in Washington and Oregon.

Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 release · USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (April 2026 download). Checked 2026-10-02.

Burning the debris

Washington’s Department of Ecology rules apply statewide. Kennewick, Richland and West Richland are each over 10,000 people, and residential and land-clearing burning is banned in cities that size and in urban growth areas (WAC 173-425-040), so removal debris there gets chipped or hauled. Where burning is allowed, Ecology bans certain materials and requires attendance and a 50-foot setback (WAC 173-425-050). See the Washington burning guide.

Full rules, seasons and alternatives: yard debris burning rules in Washington.

Source: Washington Department of Ecology. Checked 2026-10-02.

Power lines and utilities

Benton PUD prunes and removes trees along its primary high-voltage overhead lines; the secondary line to your home or business is the customer’s responsibility. The PUD will disconnect service for free during regular hours so a crew can work safely near that line, which is worth scheduling ahead. Report outages at (888) 582-2176. More on clearance rules is on the utilities page.

Source: utility vegetation-management pages linked above; WAC 296-24-960 (WA L&I). Checked 2026-10-02.

Cities and towns in Benton County

Kennewick (88,366) and Richland (65,258) hold most of the county’s 221,722 residents. Richland does not require a permit for private-property removals; for Kennewick, no permit rule was found, so check with the city before cutting. West Richland, Sunnyside, Prosser and Benton City have not been researched yet. The county grew 7.18% from 2020 to 2025.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Vintage 2025 and 2020 Census. Checked 2026-10-02. Permit rules from each city’s code; see the city pages.

Labor index

No metro wage estimate is used for Benton County here, so the statewide figure stands in: BLS puts Washington’s mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners at $32.20 an hour. That is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour rate below adds burden, equipment and overhead. Census County Business Patterns counted 77 landscaping-services establishments in the county in 2023, enough to compare bids on a planned job.

Washington statewide: $32.20 per hour mean wage for tree trimmers and pruners (BLS, May 2025); no metro estimate is published, so the statewide figure is shown. This is a labor index, not a price; the modeled crew-hour cost used on this site is $210 (method).

77 landscaping-services establishments were counted in Benton County in 2023 (Census County Business Patterns, NAICS 561730).

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 37-3013 · U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 561730. Checked 2026-10-02.

Climate and growing conditions

The whole county is USDA hardiness zone 7b. Hot, dry summers are the limit on replanting more than winter cold, so plan on irrigation for the first few years and plant in fall or early spring. Given the ice rating, favor species with strong branch structure over fast-growing, brittle trees near roofs and lines.

USDA hardiness zone 7b (2023 map, by ZIP code).

Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (OSU PRISM ZIP data). Checked 2026-10-02.

Nearby counties

• Franklin County52 storm reports since 2016
• Walla Walla County121 storm reports since 2016
• Yakima County140 storm reports since 2016
• Klickitat County160 storm reports since 2016
• Grant County151 storm reports since 2016

What to do next

If you are in Kennewick, ask the city about permits before a removal; in Richland, check the city page for exceptions. Schedule a free PUD disconnect if the work is near your service line, then call. After a storm, start with the fallen tree guide and the Washington storm damage and insurance guide. Check registration in the Washington license lookup.

Services: tree removal · trimming · stump grinding · emergency. Check any company: Washington license lookup.

Major storms that reached Benton County

These regional storms produced NOAA Storm Events reports in Benton County since 2016. Each storm page lists the dates, report counts and the other counties hit.

• December 2022 ice storm and windstorm
• January 2021 windstorm
• May 30, 2020 thunderstorm outbreak
• January 2017 ice storm