Hurricane season and your fence: what survives, what fails, what to do after

Every hurricane season we get the same two calls: one before, asking what will survive, and one after, asking how fast we can get there.

Solid privacy fence catches the most wind. That is physics — a six or eight-foot wall of vinyl or wood is a sail. The way to survive it is not thicker boards; it is deeper posts, full concrete footings, correct post spacing, and in vinyl systems, panels engineered to release from the rails under extreme load instead of taking the posts down with them.

Shadowbox and spaced-picket wood let air through and take noticeably less load than stockade. Aluminum and chain link barely register wind at all, which is why coastal Citrus and Levy County properties lean that direction.

Gates are the first casualty. An unlatched gate in 70 mph wind becomes a lever on the hinge post and pulls it out of the ground. Latch and, if you can, brace your gates before a storm.

After the storm, photograph everything before you touch it. Wide shots showing the whole run and close-ups of the failure points. If you plan to file a claim, that documentation is the claim.

Then get on a schedule early. After a system passes through Marion and Citrus County the repair queue fills in days. We prioritize storm calls, but the earlier you call the sooner you are on the board.

Not everything needs replacing. If the posts held and only panels blew out, that is a panel job. If posts snapped at grade or pulled their footings, that section needs rebuilding. We will tell you which one you have and quote both when it is a close call.