Local Conditions
Wind Damage and Haboobs
Lubbock picks up a haboob most years and a serious one roughly once a decade. Wide doors take the brunt of it.
Can wind damage a garage door?
Wind speeds for this area are not guesswork either. The National Weather Service office in Lubbock publishes the local climate records, and they are worth a look if you want to see how often this area gets gusts strong enough to matter to a wide door.
A 16-foot double door is a large flat surface with nothing behind it. Under strong wind load it bows inward, and the top section takes most of the deflection. That is what pulls rollers out of the track.
The 17 October 2011 haboob gusted to 75 mph in Lubbock. The 5 June 2019 event hit 61 mph. Those are the ones that make the news, but the everyday 19 mph average is what works hardware loose over the years.
What the damage looks like
| Symptom | What has happened |
|---|---|
| Top section bowed inward | Wind load deflected the panel |
| Rollers out at the top of the track | The bow pulled them free; see off-track doors |
| Door will not close square | Section is deformed, or the track is bent |
| Loud rattling in wind | Loose hinges and brackets, often the early warning |
| Bottom seal shredded | Grit and debris driven under the door |
Reducing the risk
- Reinforcement struts. Horizontal bracing across the top section is the single most effective addition on a wide door.
- Wind-rated doors. Worth considering on a replacement, especially on a double. See installation.
- Keep hardware tight. Loose brackets are how a windy day turns into a repair.
- Close it before a storm. A partly open door catches wind far worse than a closed one.
If your door was bowed by wind, it is worth having the springs and track checked at the same time. An event big enough to deform a section usually stresses everything else too.
Questions we get asked
Is wind damage covered by insurance?
Often yes under the homeowner policy, subject to your deductible. Photograph it before repair. See claims.
Can a bowed panel be straightened?
Rarely well. A deformed section does not run true afterwards. Replacement of that section is usually the right answer, if it is still available. See panel replacement.
Do struts help on a single-car door?
Less critical. The wider the door, the more the case for bracing.
How much wind does it take to damage a garage door?
A standard unbraced double door starts flexing noticeably around 50–60 mph, which Lubbock sees most springs. The failure is rarely dramatic: the door bows inward, the top section takes a set, and the rollers start binding in the track. Owners often report it as “the door got harder to open” weeks after the storm that actually caused it.
Which doors take wind damage worst?
Wide, uninsulated, non-braced doors — a 16-foot single-skin double is the classic case, because it is the largest flat surface on the house with the least structure behind it. Insulated sandwich-construction doors and doors with strut bracing across the top section hold up substantially better.
Should I open or close the door in high wind?
Closed, and leave it closed. A partly open door catches wind from underneath and lifts, which is how top sections get bent and rollers get pulled out of the track. If a haboob is forecast, put the door down and leave it down until it passes.
Get it fixed today
Door bowed or rollers out after a storm? Do not cycle it. Call us.