I had a storm take the whole top out of my fifty year old Chinese elm last year. Took off the top in one piece and deposited it on the neighbor's roof, and broke four big limbs. Cost me 600 dollars to have them retrieve the top from the neighbor's roof, cut out the four big broken limbs, cut back several overly long limbs that were in danger of going in the next big storm, cut everything 4 inches or larger into two foot length and stack it, and haul away the rest. My tree went from 40 feet tall and 60 feet wide to 30 feet tall and 40 feet wide, but is much healthier now, if rather flat on top. Already beginning to recover its shape.