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Background: To better understand the impacts of storms on urban forests and to develop effective management strategies, it is essential to collect accurate and consistent data on urban forests before and after a storm. However, there is often limited time for researchers to establish sampling protocols and gather data before cleanup efforts erase key visual information, such as failure modes and damage severity. Moreover, storms differ in how frequently and predictably they impact regions, potentially limiting some researchers' opportunities to gain experience with storm assessment methods.Methods: This paper presents a standardized protocol for collecting pre- and post-storm data on urban forests based on previous studies and the authors’ experiences collecting urban tree data following severe storms.Results: The protocol covers a wide range of data, including tree species, size, and condition; risk factors; and damage type. The protocol also includes instructions for post-storm data collection using a variety of methods, including field surveys, remote sensing, and citizen science efforts.Conclusions: A standardized protocol will help researchers collect consistent data on urban forests before and after storms, while also making the findings more relevant to urban forest managers, as the data will align with what they already collect.