After the Storm: How to Inspect Your Gate Before Restoring Power
Before you restore power after a storm, walk these five inspection steps — they protect your gate, your operator, and your insurance claim.
After a tropical storm or hurricane passes, the instinct is to get the gate back up and running immediately. Slow down — five minutes of inspection protects both your family's access plan and your equipment.
Step 1: Kill the power first
If the gate took water, or the operator enclosure is sitting in standing water, turn the operator's breaker off before touching anything. Water and a live control board is how a small cleanup becomes a fire hazard.
Step 2: Inspect for physical damage
Look for bent track, shifted posts, and debris wedged in the gate. Don't force a bent gate through its cycle — that transfers the damage into the operator.
Step 3: Clear water and debris
Slide-gate tracks flood. Hose them out, let the operator enclosure dry, and check the drainage around the pad.
Step 4: Run a manual cycle first
Disengage the operator (most have a release handle) and push the gate through its full travel by hand. If it rolls or swings freely, re-engage and run a powered cycle.
Step 5: Watch the first powered cycle closely
Listen for new noises and watch travel speed. If anything seems off, stop and book a service visit — post-storm is when half-failed components finally let go.
Pro tip: before storm season each year, test your battery backup, clear the track, and photograph your gate's normal operation. If you end up needing an insurance claim, that documentation matters. We offer pre- and post-storm inspections across Central Florida — and 24/7 emergency repair when it counts.