Tornado touchdown leads to damages

A tornado warning was issued for the Dutchess County, NY on Wednesday evening. With it came severe winds, golf-ball sized hail, downpours, lightning, thunder, and flying debris. A tornado reportedly touched down for about a minute in Wappingers Falls, NY. This resulted in uprooted trees, and roof removal of a shed, according to the National Weather Service in Albany, NY.

Winds reached a maximum of 100 mph in certain areas and the tornado. It was rated EF-1, which is considered a moderate tornado. Such severe winds, large hail, and an overload of flying debris can impact your gutters in several ways.

Tornado Stats

(Credit: Breanna Winter)
  1. Serious winds and hail have the potential to tear your gutters down. This is especially possible if they are older or are nailed on to the fascia.
  2. Winds and lightning can knock down trees that could land on your home or gutter causing damage.
  3. An abnormal amount of large flying debris can clog your open gutter system or lay on top of your guards.
  4. Your gutters can overflow due to the increased debris causing a clog.

The Aftermath

If your gutters have been torn down or damaged, having a professional come out to inspect the damage and provide a solution is the best option. If your seamless gutter has pulled away from your home and/or has fallen off, but is still intact and unbent, we can likely rehang or refasten your existing gutter. Or if your seamless gutters have been damaged, they will need to be replaced. In cases where a tree limb has fallen onto your home or gutter, a professional tree service should be called. They can inspect the tree for safety, especially if the tree is near any electrical wires.

Thursday morning following the storm, large pieces of debris, left over hail balls, and leaves were visibly seen all over. Because of this visual cue, it means your open gutter system is most likely also filled with this debris as well. A thorough cleaning following a large storm like this is important to ensure that your gutters are working properly. There are some clear warning signs that your gutters are clogged, which you can read more on in our blog, Gutter Problems in Rain. However, in special circumstances like a severe storm, you may want to have your gutters checked/cleaned regardless of visible warning signs before the next storm, to be safe.

Call The Pros

Due to the abundance of flying debris, you may have noticed that your gutter guards have debris on top. Chances are that this debris has already blown off on its own after drying out following the storm. But, in cases where it hasn’t, we can come out to your home for guard maintenance services. It is important to understand that, although gutter guards significantly reduce your gutter maintenance, and eliminate interior gutter cleanings, there are no “maintenance free” guards. For more details on this visit our blog, Are there really any maintenance free gutter guards?

If you have noticed any gutter complications following a tornado or other weather event, contact The Brothers that just do Gutters today for the ultimate solution!