Brittle limbs are OK as long as they are the thin wood, which occurs all the time with them. If the main limbs are brittle, you may have problems. Try gently scraping the trunks with your thumb nail. See if the cambium layer under the bark still looks fresh, green and healthy. If it does, they should be OK. If it's dark, mushy, like rotting produce in the crisper, begin pruning them back until you reach fresh, green material. Or, just leave them alone and let them show you where they wish to respond. Kim

This happened tso me too. I have to young crepe myrtles side by side in my back yard. One had full leafed out at the time of the frost, for that one the top leaves burnt and the tree seems fine. I'm leaving the dead leaves on and letting the tree recover on its own. The other one was just starting to leaf out, and it has stopped! I haven't scratched the trunk, I just keep talking to it and praying! I just wonder how long it will take to recover if it will! I'm crushed.

Few plants are as resilient as crepe myrtles. Trust me, Joytwo, you've absolutely nothing to worry about.

Thanks everyone and the last answer I like best.

Guess what - they are all alive except two are coming back from the root - the top part is gone. But the others are just pushing off the dead leaves and moving right alone.

Lucky you Joy! Mine appears to be dead!