Seasonal

Late-Summer Storm Checklist for Columbus Gutters

By Columbus Gutter Repair & Replacement · September 5, 2026 · 7 min read

Columbus's worst gutter-wrecking winds haven't come in a summer thunderstorm. They came on September 14, 2008, when what was left of Hurricane Ike crossed Ohio with 75 mph gusts and left most of Franklin County without power, and on June 29, 2012, when the derecho did it again. Both stripped gutters across Columbus, and both did the most damage to gutters that were already loose. So here, in the second week of September with the thunderstorm season winding down and the fall wind season ahead, is a gutter storm checklist you can walk in ten minutes.

This is the wind and water check. Winter prep — ice, extensions, heat cable — is a separate list in October; this one is about whether the system will stay on the house through a 60 mph gust and drain a two-inch rain.

Keeping the gutter on the house

1. Hangers

Walk the house and sight down each run. Look for a gutter that's pulled away from the fascia at the top edge, showing a dark gap, or that dips between hangers. Then push up on the gutter at a few points: it shouldn't move. Spike-and-ferrule hangers back out a little every winter, and a gutter held by three spikes on a 40-foot run is the one wind gets under first.

Fix: Re-hang on hidden screw hangers every 24 inches — 18 on runs that carry ice — $150–$300 per run. How a re-hang works if you want the detail.

2. Downspout straps

Grab each downspout and shake it. Two straps per story, screwed into the wall, is the minimum. Straps that have rusted through or pulled out of vinyl siding let the downspout swing, and a swinging downspout separates at the elbow in the first good gust. On 1990s homes in Reynoldsburg and Pickerington it's common to find downspouts held by one strap and a prayer.

Fix: New straps are $10–$20 each installed. Do all of them.

3. Fascia

Press a screwdriver into the fascia board at each corner and under each downspout. Sound wood resists. If the tip sinks in, the board is rotten, and no hanger will hold in it. Peeling paint in a band along the roof edge is the early sign.

Fix: $8–$18 per foot to replace the board, usually one or two boards at the corners. Do it before the gutter comes down on its own.

Making sure it drains

4. Flow

Pick a dry afternoon and run a hose into the far end of each run. Water should reach the downspout in a few seconds and come out the bottom in a steady stream. If it pools in the middle, the run has sagged. If it reaches the outlet and backs up, the downspout is blocked — usually maple seeds from May, a bird's nest, or a tennis ball.

Fix: Flush the downspout from the top. If it won't clear, take the bottom elbow off. If the run pools, that's a re-hang.

5. Extensions

Every downspout should end at least 4 feet from the house, 6 on flat clay. Check that the extension is still attached — mowers and kids move them — and that it actually points downhill. A splash block sitting on ground that slopes back toward the wall is decoration.

Fix: Rigid extensions with a screw through the joint, $25–$80 each. Why the distance matters here.

The roof edge and the corners

6. Roof edge

From the ladder, look at where the shingles meet the gutter. There should be a metal drip edge under the shingles lapping into the gutter, and the shingles should overhang it by half an inch to an inch. Shingles cut short or no drip edge means water runs behind the gutter in wind-driven rain, straight down the fascia. Also look for shingle tabs lifted at the eave; that's where wind starts peeling a roof, and it's a roofer's fix.

Fix: Drip edge is a small roofing job. Tell your roofer; it's often $200–$400 for an eave.

7. Corners and end caps

Look for drip stains or a white mineral streak below each corner. A corner that leaks in September will hold water and split in January.

Fix: Clean and reseal, $150–$250 per corner. Details in how to find a gutter leak.

Trees

Any branch within six feet of the roof edge is going to end up in the gutter or through it in a wind event. The big silver maples in Clintonville and Upper Arlington shed limbs in every storm; they're brittle by design.

Fix: An arborist's job, not a gutter contractor's. But do it before the leaves come down, not after.

After a storm goes through

When the wind has passed, do a slower version of the same walk.

• Photograph before you touch. Take wide shots and close-ups from the ground before anything is moved or picked up, then check your policy or ask your agent what it covers.
• Look for runs that moved. A gutter that shifted an inch away from the fascia at the top edge has lost hangers, even if it's still up.
• Check every downspout at the elbows. Wind and debris knock them apart, and a separated elbow pours at the wall.
• Look in the yard. Pieces of shingle, a gutter end cap or a strap on the lawn are clues about what came loose up top.
• Run water through. A limb or a wad of storm debris in the outlet is common, and the next rain will find it.

Leave anything hanging off the house alone. A partly detached run can swing or drop, so keep people and cars away from it until it's secured.

Getting ready for the next one

A few things make the next wind event easier. Keep a couple of spare downspout elbows and a box of short stainless screws in the garage. Know which runs were re-hung and which still have spikes. Take a few photos of the gutters on a calm, sunny day so you have a "before" picture on file. And keep the number of a local contractor and an arborist somewhere you'll find it when the power is out.

Common questions

Can a gutter that blew off be put back up?

Often, if the run is straight and undented. It goes back up on hidden hangers, with a new section only where it kinked. A run that folded or tore at a seam usually needs a replacement section.

Is a dented gutter a problem?

A small dent on the front face is mostly cosmetic. A dent that pinches the bottom, or bends the back edge away from the fascia, can hold water and should be fixed before winter.

How long should I wait to have it looked at?

Get loose sections secured right away. A full repair can wait a few days for a dry spell, but not into the freeze.

Should I check again after hail?

Yes. Hail dents the front face and can crack paint at the corners. Most dents are cosmetic, but look closely at the corners and the outlet, and photograph anything you find from the ground.

Who removes a branch lying across the eave?

If it's small and you can reach it from a ladder on a single story, you can. Anything large, anything on the roof, or anything near a power line is an arborist's job.

What to do with the list

If you found one or two things, ask a local contractor for a gutter repair estimate and read them off. If you found five, and the gutters are 1990s sectional, ask for a replacement quote alongside the repair quote and compare them over five years. Either way, get it done before the leaves start in October, because anyone on the roof in September is standing on shingles; in December it's standing on frost.