Severe Wind Storm Expected Across Maryland and Pennsylvania: How to Protect Your Home and What to Do if Damage Occurs
- Staff
- 3 minutes ago
- 6 min read
Weather forecasts are currently predicting a significant wind event across the Mid-Atlantic region tomorrow, March 16, 2026, with the potential for very strong winds, isolated tornadoes, and hail. These types of storms can develop quickly and may cause widespread damage to homes throughout the region.
Here are a few practical things homeowners can do to prepare for a severe wind storm:
Secure loose items around the yard – Bring in patio furniture, grills, trash cans, and decorations that could become airborne in high winds.
Check shutters and exterior fixtures – Make sure shutters, light fixtures, and decorative items are securely fastened so they don’t tear loose.
Move vehicles away from trees – Park cars in a garage or away from large trees or limbs that could fall during high winds.
Take photos of your home beforehand – Having clear “before” photos can help document the condition of your roof, siding, and exterior in case you need to file an insurance claim.
Charge phones and keep flashlights ready – Power outages are common during major wind events.
Have a tarp or contractor contact ready – If damage occurs, being able to quickly cover exposed areas of the roof can help prevent secondary water damage.
Stay off the roof before and after the storm – High winds can loosen materials and make roofs dangerous. Always have a professional inspect storm damage.
Regardless of your prep, your home may still sustain damage. For homeowners across our service areas in Maryland and Pennsylvania, it’s important to understand what these storms can do to your home’s exterior and what steps to take if your property is affected.
JP Construction Services serves homeowners throughout many counties in Maryland and southern Pennsylvania, and storms like this often lead to damage involving roofing, siding, gutters, shutters, and other exterior components.
Preparing ahead of time and knowing how to respond after a storm can make a major difference.
What Severe Wind Storms Can Do to Your Home
High winds, hail, and rotating storm systems can cause a variety of exterior damages. Some issues are obvious immediately, while others may not become apparent until later.
Roofing Damage
Strong winds can lift or completely remove shingles from your roof. When shingles are torn off, the roof deck underneath becomes exposed to the elements.
Other possible roofing issues include:
Creased or loosened shingles
Ridge cap damage
Lifted flashing around chimneys and vents
Impact damage from hail
However, it’s important to understand something many homeowners don’t realize.
Just because a few shingles are missing does not necessarily mean your roof will immediately start leaking.
Most roof leaks occur around flashing areas, such as:
Plumbing vents
Chimneys
Roof-to-wall transitions
Skylights
Still, missing shingles should be inspected and repaired before another storm arrives.
Siding Damage
Severe winds and flying debris can crack or completely remove siding panels. Vinyl and aluminum siding can become loose when strong wind gets behind it.
Common siding storm damage includes:
Loose or detached panels
Cracks from impact
Warped or bent siding
Dented aluminum siding from hail
When siding is damaged, it can expose the underlying wall system to moisture and wind.
Trim Capping and Fascia
Aluminum trim and fascia wrapping are often the first things to fail during high wind events.
These lightweight materials can:
Bend
Tear loose
Peel away from the home
Once trim capping comes off, the wood underneath becomes vulnerable to water damage.
Gutters
Strong wind and heavy debris can damage gutters by:
Pulling them loose from the fascia
Bending sections
Clogging them with debris
Separating joints
denting from hail
Even minor gutter damage can cause drainage issues that lead to water problems around the home.
Shutters
Shutters are another exterior component that can be affected by severe wind.
High winds may:
Tear shutters off the home
Break mounting fasteners
Crack vinyl shutters
Leave holes in siding where shutters were attached
While shutters are mostly decorative today, damaged ones can still affect the appearance and weather protection of your home.
What To Do If Your Home Sustains Storm Damage
After a severe weather event, the most important priority is protecting your home from further damage.
If damage is significant enough that secondary damage could occur—for example if large sections of shingles are blown off—it may be wise to contact your insurance company right away so the claim is documented before additional damage occurs.
However, an insurance claim is only part of the process.
Even if you file a claim immediately, you will still need emergency repairs or temporary protection, such as tarping or patching, to prevent further damage.
Those emergency repairs are handled by a contractor.
Why Calling a Contractor Early Matters
Many homeowners contact their insurance company first and then wait to see what happens.
While this might seem logical, it can sometimes put homeowners at a disadvantage.
Think about the situation from the insurance company's perspective.
If they are simply settling directly with you, the homeowner, it is only human nature for the estimate to be written minimally.
However, when a contractor is involved from the beginning, the dynamic changes.
Insurance companies know the contractor understands:
the real cost of repairs
material pricing
labor requirements
building code requirements
Because of that, they are often more inclined to write a fair and realistic estimate the first time.
And even if the first estimate is not sufficient, the contractor can continue to help navigate the process.
Without a contractor involved, most homeowners have no way of knowing whether the insurance estimate is enough to actually perform the work described.
Insurance estimates can also be extremely confusing, with line items, depreciation values, and scopes of work that are difficult for the average homeowner to interpret. Learn how to understand your insurance estimate.
Be Careful With Insurance Company Contractors
In some cases, insurance companies may offer to send their own contractor for emergency repairs.
While this can be helpful in urgent situations, homeowners should take a moment to think things through.
Just because you have a few shingles missing does not necessarily mean your roof will start leaking immediately.
Do you really want to feel pressured into using a contractor chosen by the insurance company to perform repairs you may have little say in?
Calling your own trusted contractor is almost never a bad idea.
A contractor who has your best interest in mind can:
assess the damage
provide emergency protection if needed
review the insurance estimate
ensure repairs are done properly
Get educated. What really happens after a hailstorm hits Maryland?
Did it hail where you live? 2026 MD and PA Hail Storm Tracker
After the Storm: What Homeowners Should Do
If severe weather impacts your area tomorrow, here are a few important steps to follow.
Stay safe and avoid climbing on the roof yourself.
Visually inspect your property from the ground for obvious damage such as missing shingles, siding pieces, gutters, or shutters.
Take photos of visible damage for documentation.
Contact a qualified exterior contractor for an inspection.
If necessary, file an insurance claim and document the damage early to prevent issues with secondary damage.
Storm Damage Inspections in Maryland and Pennsylvania
Severe wind events across the Mid-Atlantic region can cause widespread exterior damage to homes.
If your home in Maryland or southern Pennsylvania experiences storm damage involving roofing, siding, trim, gutters, or shutters, it’s important to have the property inspected by a qualified contractor as soon as possible.
A professional inspection helps determine the full extent of the damage and ensures your home is properly protected moving forward.
Storms can pass quickly, but the damage they leave behind can affect your home for years if it is not handled correctly.
If you live within our service area and were affected by recent hail or wind storms, call us today at (877) 846-9566 to schedule your free consultation, or schedule online.
