The forecast is already up. You have a few hours, maybe less. There is one right move with the garage door before the wind arrives, and the rest of this is what happens after.
The guidance below follows DASMA Technical Data Sheet #152, published by the Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association, the industry body whose standards door manufacturers design to. Where a step reflects Garage Door Science’s own editorial judgment rather than the data sheet, this article says so.
Close the door now, before the wind arrives
DASMA is direct about this: close the door before a high-wind event reaches the property. An open door exposes the interior walls, ceiling, and roof structure to forces they were not engineered to handle. In the worst cases, that means structural collapse, not just a damaged door.
Close it while the opener is working normally and the wind is still calm. Once the storm is close, do not run the door. The extra force required to operate a door in high winds can injure people or damage the door, and that applies to both powered and manual operation, according to DASMA. This is not a situation where you ease it down carefully and hope for the best.
One thing that comes up: parking a vehicle against the inside of the door to hold it shut. Do not do this. It does not reinforce the door structurally. It risks damaging the door and the vehicle. Leave the vehicle somewhere else.
If the door will not close, if it reverses before it reaches the floor, or it won’t move at all, that is a separate problem and a different clock. A door stuck open with a storm approaching is an emergency. Call a technician. What counts as a garage door emergency covers the triage if you need it.
Don’t brace it yourself
Boards, bars, weight added to the bottom rail: the impulse is understandable. DASMA explicitly warns against it. Adding reinforcement the door manufacturer did not specify can cause the supporting tracks or other components to fail. The door is an engineered system. Adding unsanctioned load to one part transfers stress to others in ways that are not predictable.
Springs, lift cables, and bottom brackets are always a job for a trained technician. Do not adjust, tension, or remove them yourself. If you believe your door needs reinforcement before storm season, that conversation starts with a door systems technician, not a hardware store.
If you’re in an area that sees regular high-wind events, a hurricane-prone coastal zone, a high-desert corridor with seasonal storms, the upper Midwest’s freeze-thaw cycles, reinforcement decisions made before storm season are worth far more than anything you can do the afternoon of a forecast. This weather-proofing guide for high-wind climates covers what a proper upgrade assessment looks like. (Editorial note for cross-post review: external link to third-party domain, confirm this is acceptable under partner link policy before publishing.)
Wind ratings: what your door is rated for, and why the frame matters too
Wind loads push a garage door in both directions. DASMA notes that a door can be blown into the garage (positive pressure) or pulled out of the opening (negative pressure), so ratings in both directions matter. A door rated to the design pressure required for your climate and exposure is the right protection. A standard residential door installed in a low-wind zone and a door designed for a coastal hurricane zone are not equivalent, even if they look identical.
The door’s rating is only part of the system. How the track attaches to the jamb, and how the jamb anchors to the structure, is equally critical. A door with an adequate wind rating installed into a frame that isn’t built to the same standard offers less protection than the rating implies. The door and the surrounding structure have to perform together.
If you don’t know your door’s wind rating, start with the manufacturer’s documentation. A design professional can tell you if what you have is appropriate for your location. If you’re in a coastal area subject to storm surge, additional local requirements may apply on top of wind load resistance.
After the storm: look before you touch the opener
Once the wind has passed, do a visual inspection before you run the door. Look for bent panels. Look for a door that has shifted on its tracks. Look for cables or springs that appear slack, displaced, or broken. If you see any of those, stop. Do not run the opener. A door with a compromised track or a broken spring can cause further damage or injury when forced to move.
Visible damage to panels, tracks, cables, or springs means you call a technician, not a test run to see how bad it is. For doors that have come off their tracks specifically, the off-track guide explains what causes it and where the line is between looking and touching. Assessment is reasonable. Repair is not a DIY task.
If the power is out
An opener without battery backup will not run when the power is out. If the storm cut power and the door is stuck, do not try to force it open by hand. Use the emergency release cord to disengage the door from the opener, then lift manually, but only if the door appears undamaged and moves smoothly without resistance. If it feels heavy or uneven, leave it and call a technician. This guide on power outages and garage doors covers what to expect and when battery backup is worth adding before the next storm season.
Five things to do before the next storm is forecast
These are the steps that cost the least, in time and money, because they happen before anyone is watching a radar. For the full inspection walkthrough, the pre-season checklist on Garage Door Science covers every point worth reviewing before storm season begins.
- Find your door’s wind rating. Check the manufacturer’s documentation, or call a design professional if you can’t locate it.
- If you have doubts about the door or the surrounding frame, have a design professional evaluate both before storm season, not during it.
- If you want the door upgraded or reinforced, contact a trained door systems technician. Do not add bracing or weight yourself.
- When a storm is forecast, close the door before the wind arrives and leave it closed until conditions are fully calm.
- After the storm, inspect visually before running the opener. Any visible damage means a call to a technician.
A door that takes a storm without incident is usually one that was already in good shape before the forecast appeared. The storm doesn’t change what the door can handle, it just tests it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I close my garage door before a high wind storm?
Yes, and you should do it before the wind arrives, not during it. DASMA’s guidance for high wind events is clear: the door should be closed in advance. Operating a garage door while wind is already up can damage the door or injure people. Once it’s closed, leave it that way until conditions are calm.
Can I brace my garage door myself to protect it in high winds?
No. Adding weight or unsanctioned reinforcement to a garage door can cause the tracks or supporting components to fail. DASMA explicitly warns against this. If you want a stronger door, the right path is a trained door systems technician who can assess the full system, including the door, track, and frame anchor points.
What does a garage door wind rating mean, and how do I find mine?
A wind rating tells you the pressure load, in both directions, that the door is designed to withstand. Check the manufacturer’s product documentation or call the manufacturer directly. If you can’t find it, a design professional can assess both the door and the surrounding frame. In coastal areas, local code requirements may set a minimum rating that overrides standard specifications.
My garage door looks off after a windstorm. Is it safe to run the opener?
Not until you do a visual check. Look for bent panels, a door shifted off its track, or cables and springs that appear loose, slack, or broken. If you see any of those, do not run the opener. Running a door with a compromised track or broken spring can cause further damage and injury. Call a technician before operating it.
What happens to my garage door if the power goes out during a storm?
An opener without battery backup will not run when power is out. You can use the emergency release cord to disengage the opener and lift the door manually, but only if the door appears undamaged and moves smoothly when you try. If it feels heavy, uneven, or won’t lift easily, leave it and call a technician rather than forcing it.
How do I know if my garage door can handle high winds in my region?
Climate and exposure both matter. A door in a freeze-thaw region, a humid coastal zone, or a high-desert wind corridor each faces different load conditions. The door’s rated design pressure needs to match the wind loads your area sees. If you’re unsure, a design professional can evaluate both the door and the frame it’s installed in, which is just as important as the door’s own rating.
