# A fence checklist for Santa Ana wind season > A fall checklist for Oxnard fences before Santa Ana winds arrive, covering posts, gates, loose boards, debris and what to do after a windstorm. URL: https://ranchooxnardfence.com/blog/santa-ana-wind-season-fence-checklist/ Before Santa Ana season, rock every post by hand, check gate hinges and latches, fasten loose boards, and clear anything piled against the fence. A weak post found in October is a quick repair. The same post found by a 60 mph gust is a fallen section. Want your fence to make it through the wind season? At [Rancho Oxnard Fence](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/) we repair wind-damaged fences across Oxnard, and a fence that fails in a gust usually shows a warning sign first. This checklist walks you through what to look at, in the order it usually fails. For the engineering behind it, read [how much wind a fence can take](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/guide/santa-ana-winds-fence/). ## Why the wind finds the weak spot Santa Ana winds blow from the northeast, off the mountains and down to the coast, mainly in fall and winter. The usual breeze in Oxnard comes off the ocean, so these gusts push on the other face of the fence. The National Weather Service has warned of damaging gusts of 50 to 70 mph across the Ventura County coastal plain, reaching the beaches. A solid 6 ft fence works like a sail, and all of that load ends up at the base of the posts. ## The checklist Ten minutes along the line - Rock every post by hand at the top. Note any that move or lean. - Probe wood posts just below the soil with a screwdriver. Soft wood means rot. - Look for cracked concrete collars and gaps around posts in sandy ground. - Check gate hinges, latches and the post the gate hangs on. - Fasten or replace loose boards and pickets. - Move firewood, bins, lumber and plants off the fence. - Trim branches that rest on or overhang the fence. ## Posts first Every fence that falls in a windstorm fails at a post, either because the wood has rotted at the soil line or because the footing has loosened in the sand. Push at the top of each post. A little flex is normal; a post that rocks back and forth, or that has a gap around it at grade, is the one to deal with. On wood posts, probe an inch or two below the soil. If the screwdriver sinks in, the post has rotted where you can’t see it. See [setting posts in sandy soil](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/guide/fence-posts-sandy-soil/). ## Gates A gate is a big flat panel on one post, and wind loves it. Check that the hinge screws are tight, the latch catches cleanly and the gate stays shut on its own. A gate that swings in the wind batters its post and hinges in a single night. If it already drags or sags, read [how to fix a sagging gate](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/guide/fix-sagging-gate/). During a wind warning, keep gates latched, or tie them closed if the latch is weak. ## Boards, pickets and panels Loose boards rattle, then tear off and take others with them. Re-fasten them with exterior screws, stainless near the beach. On vinyl, check that panels are fully seated in the posts and that caps are on. A missing cap lets wind and water into a hollow post. ## What is leaning on it Firewood stacked against a fence, a trash bin wedged in a side yard, or a vine grown into the boards all add load. They also add fuel when the same dry winds bring fire weather. Pull them back a few feet. Found a post that moves? Send a photo of the post and the run around it. A single post can often be reset before the wind arrives. (805) 909-4556 ## After the wind If a section does come down, keep children and pets away from loose panels and don’t try to lift one in wind. Take photos before you move anything, from far enough back to show the whole run and close enough to show the post bases. Those photos help with any claim. See [fence damage and insurance](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/guide/fence-wind-damage-insurance/). Emergency calls are taken outside normal hours, and a temporary fix to close the gap is priced separately from the permanent repair. See [emergency fence repair](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/emergency-fence-repair/). ## When a check turns into a rebuild If many posts move or the wood is soft all along the line, patching one post at a time costs more than it saves. That is the point to plan a [fence replacement](https://ranchooxnardfence.com/fence-replacement/) on new footings, with posts sized for the wind your lot actually gets. ## Questions about this post ### When should I check my fence for Santa Ana season? Early fall, before the first wind warning. Santa Ana winds blow mostly in fall and winter, so a check in September or October leaves time to fix a weak post before the wind finds it. ### What is the most important part of a fence to check before a wind event? The posts at grade. Rock each post by hand. One that moves, or wood that is soft just under the soil line, is where a solid fence will fail first. ### What should I do if my fence comes down in a windstorm? Keep people and pets away from loose panels, take photos before moving anything, and secure pets and a pool. A temporary fix to close the gap can be done first and priced separately from the permanent repair. Want this checked for your property? A site visit settles the line, the height rule at your address and the posts the fence needs. (805) 909-4556 ## Related service Fence repair Leaning posts, broken rails, cracked panels and dragging gates, fixed part by part when the rest of the fence is sound. ## Keep reading Learn How much wind can a fence withstand? Santa Ana gusts reach the beaches at Oxnard. Here is how wind loads a fence, where fences fail, and what design choices keep one standing. Learn Does homeowners insurance cover a fence damaged by wind? Policies treat fences in different ways. Here is how to check yours, what to record before cleanup, and how a shared fence changes the question. Learn How do you fix a sagging fence gate? Most sagging gates are a post or frame problem, not a hinge problem. Here is how to find the cause and the fix that lasts. Learn How deep should fence posts go in sandy soil? Oxnard's sand and shallow winter groundwater change how posts are set. Here is what a footing has to do, and why depth is set at the site, not from a chart.