After the Derecho: Equipment Built for Storm Cleanup Across Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana
On the morning of August 11, a derecho tore across northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana with straight-line winds of 70 to 120 mph. The National Weather Service confirmed multiple tornadoes in the south suburbs, and the hardest-hit areas Will County, southern Cook County, and Lake and Porter counties in Indiana are right in our backyard. Hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses lost power. Trees came down on homes, roadways, and utility lines, and a second round of severe storms rolled through the very next day.
For many of our neighbors and customers across the south suburbs and NWI, the storm is over but the cleanup is just beginning.
Storm-Damaged Trees Are Not Ordinary Tree Work
Downed and damaged trees after a wind event like this are some of the most dangerous material a crew can handle. Trunks and limbs are under unpredictable tension. Hangers and split leaders can release without warning. Root balls can shift. And much of the worst damage sits exactly where you don’t want people working tangled in power lines, leaning over structures, or blocking access roads that emergency and utility crews need open.
Traditional cleanup puts climbers and ground crews directly in that danger zone. There’s a better way.
The Woodcracker CS Smart: Cut, Grip, and Place From a Safe Distance
The Woodcracker CS Smart tree shear attachment, paired with a Manitou MRT rotating telehandler, was built for exactly this kind of work. Instead of sending a crew member up into a compromised tree, the operator grips the tree first, makes a clean, controlled cut, and places the material safely on the ground all from the cab.
Why this setup matters for storm response:
Controlled cutting and placement. The Woodcracker grips the tree before it cuts, so storm-damaged limbs and leaning trunks never free-fall. Material goes where the operator puts it — not where gravity decides.
Fewer people in the drop zone. With cutting handled remotely from the machine, fewer crew members are needed near the hazard. On a job site full of tension-loaded wood, that’s the single biggest safety win.
360° rotation and long reach. The MRT’s continuously rotating turret lets operators cut and place debris without repositioning the base machine — critical in tight residential streets, along utility corridors, and on rough or debris-covered ground.
One machine, multiple jobs. Lift, cut, grip, and clear with a single unit instead of mobilizing a crane, a telehandler, and separate forestry equipment. That means faster response and lower cost when time matters most.
Whether you’re a tree service company facing a backlog of storm calls, a municipality clearing roadways, a utility contractor restoring corridors, or a property manager with damage on site we can help you get the right equipment on the ground fast.
Clear the Path Safely
Storm cleanup will continue across the region for weeks. If your crews are heading into storm-damaged trees, do it with equipment designed to keep them out of harm’s way. Stevenson Crane does not provide tree cutting, trimming or tree removal services.
Call us anytime: (630) 972-9199 (Bolingbrook) or (219) 972-9199 (South Holland / NWI)
See the Woodcracker CS Smart in action: Photos, Videos & Specs
