Windstorm Damage Checklist for Kamas, Park City & Heber Homes: Fences, Gutters, Doors & Who to Call

Seasonal guide

Why November wind deserves its own checklist

Most people in Summit and Wasatch counties think about snow when they think about winter damage. In practice, a lot of the first repairs of the season come from wind. Cold fronts push through in late October and November, canyon winds pour out of the Weber, Provo and Chalk Creek drainages, and open ground around Oakley, Peoa, Kamas, Charleston and the Heber Valley floor gives gusts a long run before they hit a house. The damage is rarely dramatic. It is a gate that will not latch, a fence panel lying in the pasture, a gutter end that lifted, a storm door with a bent closer and a downspout that walked away. Small problems, but if they are still broken when the first real storm arrives, they turn into ice, drifts and water in the wrong place.

This checklist is written for the morning after: what to look at first, what is safe to do yourself, and what belongs to a roofer, an electrician or the power company rather than a handyman.

1. Safety before anything else

Downed or sagging lines: stay well away and assume they are live. Call 911 and your electric utility. Rocky Mountain Power serves much of Summit County; Heber Light & Power serves much of Heber City, Midway and Charleston. Check your bill if you are not sure.
Leaning trees and hanging limbs: do not stand under them to look at the roof. A tree service handles those, especially near the house or lines.
Roof damage: missing shingles, lifted metal panels or flashing you can see from the ground are a roofer's call. Do not climb onto a roof in gusty weather or on frosty morning shingles.
Gas smell or a damaged propane line: leave the area and call your propane supplier or gas utility from a safe distance.

2. Photograph first, then fix

If there is any chance you will file a homeowner's insurance claim, take wide photos and close-ups before anything gets cleaned up or repaired: each damaged section, the date, and anything that blew onto a neighbor's property. A short video walking the fence line or the side of the house is often faster than fifty photos. Keep receipts for any temporary fixes you make to stop more damage. We are glad to photograph what we find on a repair visit and text it to you, but we do not do insurance estimates or deal with adjusters. That conversation is between you and your insurer.

3. Walk the outside in this order

Fences and gates: leaning posts, panels out, broken rails, gates that drag or swing open on their own. Wind loads privacy fences like a sail, so solid vinyl and board-on-board panels fail before open rail and wire fences do. Our fence pages for Kamas, Oakley, Peoa and Charleston go deeper on posts, frost heave and hobby-farm gates.
Gutters and downspouts: lifted ends, sagging runs, pulled spikes, missing elbows and downspouts that now dump against the foundation. A gutter that moved half an inch can start an ice problem at the eave. See gutter cleaning and repairs and the ice dam guide.
Storm doors and screen doors: bent closers, torn wind chains, sprung hinges and frames pulled out of square. The storm door guide covers closers, chains and what to buy if the door is done.
Siding trim, soffit and fascia: loose corner boards, flapping J-channel, soffit panels pushed in or missing, fascia boards pulled off at the ends. Open soffit lets snow and birds into the attic, so it is worth a quick fix before winter.
Decks, railings and furniture: blown-over grills and furniture can crack deck boards and dent railings. Loose railing posts are a safety item, not a cosmetic one. Our deck and fence repair page covers what we fix.
Heat cables, lights and stakes: roof heat cables that pulled out of their clips, holiday lights that came loose, snow stakes that blew over. See the heat cable checklist and the snow stakes guide.
Sheds, shop doors and outbuildings: sliding barn doors off their tracks, man-doors that no longer latch, loose metal trim on the eaves.

4. Temporary fixes that are reasonable to do yourself

Some things are fine to secure on your own until a repair can be scheduled: tie a swinging gate closed, stack a loose fence panel flat so it does not become a kite, reconnect a downspout elbow, pick up debris off the roof edge from a ladder only if the ground is firm and the wind has died, and close and latch a storm door that now blows open. Avoid climbing on roofs, cutting limbs that are under tension, or working anywhere near service lines. If a door, window or skylight is letting weather in, a tarp or plastic over it for a day or two is fine; a roofer or window company handles real roof and glazing damage.

5. Who fixes what

Us: fence panels, posts and gate hardware on typical residential fences; re-hanging gutters, reattaching downspouts and replacing short damaged sections; storm door closers, chains and hinges; loose siding trim, corner boards and soffit panels within ladder reach; deck boards and railing repairs; shed and shop door hardware
Roofer: shingles, metal roof panels, ridge caps, flashing, chimney caps and anything on a steep or tall roof
Tree service: hanging limbs, leaning trees and trees near lines
Electrician: damaged exterior outlets, light fixtures, heat cable circuits and the service mast on the house
Electric utility: lines from the pole to the house
Window or door company: broken glass in sealed units and skylights

6. Make the next wind easier

After a repair, a few habits keep the next storm from doing the same thing: stake or store lightweight patio furniture and trampolines, add a wind chain or a better closer to storm doors on the windward side, swap undersized gate latches for heavier ones, and keep gutter hangers tight going into winter. In Oakley, Peoa and the open parts of the Kamas Valley, consider gaps or open designs for long privacy fences where your HOA and neighbors allow it. Pair those fixes with the fall home checklist and, for cabins that sit empty, the winterizing guide. Honest work, fair prices, and a straight answer about which list a repair belongs on.

Where we help

Call or text (435) 321-2591 Message us on Instagram

Windstorm damage FAQ

What should I check first after a windstorm?

Safety first: stay away from downed lines and hanging limbs and look for roof damage from the ground. Then photograph damage before cleaning up, and walk fences, gates, gutters, storm doors, siding trim and decks.

Can a handyman fix wind damage?

Many smaller items, yes: fence panels and gate hardware, gutters and downspouts, storm door closers and hinges, loose siding trim and soffit, and deck boards and railings. Roof, tree, electrical and utility-line damage go to those trades.

Should I take photos before repairing wind damage?

Yes, if you might file an insurance claim. Take wide shots and close-ups of each damaged area before anything is cleaned up, and keep receipts for temporary fixes.

Who do I call about a downed power line in Kamas or Heber?

Call 911 and your electric utility, and stay well away. Rocky Mountain Power serves much of Summit County and Heber Light & Power serves much of Heber City, Midway and Charleston; your bill shows which one you have.

Can you repair a fence that blew down before the ground freezes?

Usually, yes. Panels, rails and gate hardware can be repaired most of the winter. Resetting posts is easiest before the ground freezes hard, so call early in November if posts are leaning.

How do I book wind-damage repairs?

Call or text (435) 321-2591, or message @kamasvalleyhandyman on Instagram, with your town and photos of what blew loose.

We focus on general handyman work and are not a licensed electrical, plumbing or general contracting company. For jobs that need a licensed trade, we'll tell you upfront and point you in the right direction.

After a windstorm: a damage checklist for Wasatch Back homes