Getting a Garage Door Ready for Hurricane Season on the Grand Strand
Updated 2026-10 · Myrtle Beach, SC
Early in the season: a ten-minute check
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. Do this check early, while a repair can still be booked on a normal schedule.
- Look for a label on the door's inside edge or end stile showing a wind rating. No label usually means the door is not rated
- Check the horizontal struts across the panels for bends and loose screws
- Tighten the track bolts into the wall and the hinge screws; on a coastal door they loosen and rust
- Look at the springs and cables for rust and fraying
- Pull the emergency release and lift the door by hand: it should move smoothly and stay put halfway
- Test the opener's battery backup if it has one, by unplugging the opener and running it
When a storm is forecast
Close the door and lock it. A manual lock, or the opener's lock if it has one, helps stop wind lifting the door in its track. If you have removable braces, fit them now, not when the wind has started. Move anything heavy away from the inside of the door, because if the door flexes or fails it hits whatever is behind it. Unplug the opener if you are leaving, to protect the board from surges. If you are evacuating, decide in advance whether the car is leaving through the garage, because getting a heavy door open by hand during a power cut is slow.
After the storm
Do not run the opener until you have looked at the door. A door that took wind may have bent struts, rollers out of the track or a bowed panel, and running the opener on it can make things worse. If the garage took water, check the bottom section, the bottom brackets, the rollers and the sensors, and rinse salt or brackish residue off the hardware with fresh water. Take photographs before anything is moved if you may claim on insurance.
The week after a named storm
After a hurricane passes, every garage door company on the Strand gets the same calls at once, and the waits get long. A door that is closed and safe but damaged can usually wait its turn. A door that is open, off its track or leaving the house unsecured should be described that way on the call, so it is prioritised.
If your door is not rated
An unrated door is common on houses built before modern wind codes, and on plenty built since. Bracing is the cheaper stopgap. A rated door is the lasting answer and the one to ask about before the season, not during it, because lead times stretch once a storm is on the map.
Get the door checked before a storm is forecast. A local company can look at the hardware, tell you whether the door is rated, and quote bracing or a rated replacement while there is still time.
Where to go next
Common questions
Should I leave the garage door slightly open to relieve pressure?
No. That is an old idea that does more harm than good. An open or partly open door lets wind into the house. Keep it closed and locked.
Can I put plywood over a garage door?
Not usefully. Plywood over a large flexible door does not stop it bowing. Use a bracing system designed for the door, or a rated door.
My opener died the night of the storm. Is it the motor?
More often the logic board, from a surge. A repair is usually possible; the company will test before replacing anything.