Spring in Broken Arrow means severe weather season — and if you’ve invested in a pergola, covered patio, outdoor kitchen, and fire feature, you want to know how to protect that investment when storms roll through. Here’s the practical guide to storm-season preparation for outdoor living spaces.
Before Storm Season Begins
Inspect Your Pergola Anchor Bolts
Pergola post base anchors — the hardware that connects the post to the footing — should be checked annually before storm season. Look for loose or corroded bolts at the post base. If you have Simpson Strong-Tie post bases or similar hardware, use a wrench to verify all bolts are torqued correctly. Loose anchor bolts are the most common point of pergola failure in wind events.
Check Beam-to-Post and Rafter-to-Beam Connections
Structural connections at the top of pergola posts — where beams rest on posts, and where rafters attach to beams — should be verified for tight hardware and no rot at bearing points. Any rot at wood-to-metal connections needs to be addressed before storm season.
Evaluate Roofing on Covered Patios
For covered patios with metal roofing, verify that all screws are tight and that no panels have lifted or gapped at the eaves. Standing seam metal roofing is generally more wind-resistant than corrugated — if corrugated panels were installed with inadequate fastener spacing, this is when they fail. Check the ridge cap for lifting.
When a Severe Thunderstorm Watch is Issued
- Move lightweight patio furniture inside or to the garage
- Remove umbrella covers and bring in table umbrellas — a closed umbrella can act as a sail and tip the weighted base
- Take in any hanging plants, decorative items, and accessories that can become airborne
- Secure or remove outdoor cushions
- Open your louvered pergola slats to their flat/horizontal position if you have a louvered system — this significantly reduces wind load on the structure
When a Tornado Warning is Issued
Get to interior shelter immediately. A properly built pergola will withstand straight-line winds. It will not withstand a direct tornado strike, and no outdoor structure — regardless of how it’s built — is a safe shelter during a tornado warning. Take shelter in an interior room without windows on the lowest floor of your home, or in a storm shelter.
After a Severe Weather Event
- Inspect pergola and covered patio for any shifted components, cracked posts, or loosened connections before resuming use
- Check for fallen tree limbs on or near the structure
- If a structure sustained impact damage or significant wind loading, have it assessed before using it — a damaged connection that’s not visible can fail under subsequent normal load
- Document any storm damage with photographs immediately after the event for insurance purposes
Building for Broken Arrow’s Wind Zone
Every VistaScapes pergola and covered patio structure is designed for Broken Arrow’s ASCE 7 wind load requirements. Post footings are sized and anchored for the wind zone, and structural connections are specified to meet design wind speeds. We build outdoor structures to last through Oklahoma weather — not just fair-weather conditions.
Call 918-779-1317 for a free consultation on your outdoor living project.
