How to Inspect a Pool Cover After High Winds: A Practical Damage and Safety Checklist

The common thread after any severe wind event is that small pool cover problems can be easy to miss until the next storm makes them worse. A shifted strap, partly lifted anchor, or tiny abrasion may look harmless from the patio but can weaken the entire cover system. Knowing how to inspect a pool cover after high winds helps you find damage early, restore proper protection, and avoid unsafe assumptions about a cover that no longer fits as intended.

Wait until the wind, lightning, and heavy rain have fully passed before approaching the pool. Wear shoes with good traction, keep children and pets away, and never step onto the cover to inspect it. Even a safety cover should be treated cautiously after a storm because damaged anchors, straps, fabric, or surrounding decking may have reduced its load-bearing ability.

Start With a Full Perimeter Walk

Begin several feet back from the pool and walk around the entire perimeter. Look at the cover as a complete system before examining individual components. A cover that has shifted diagonally, developed uneven wrinkles, or become noticeably tighter on one side may have an anchor, spring, cable, or weight problem on the opposite side.

Check the deck for fallen limbs, broken furniture, loose roofing material, shattered planters, or other windblown objects. Photograph the area before moving large debris if you may need to file an insurance or warranty claim. Remove only light debris that can be reached safely from solid decking. Do not drag sharp branches across the cover because this can turn a shallow scrape into a long tear.

Inspect According to the Type of Cover

Different pool covers resist wind in different ways, so the most important inspection points depend on the system installed.

Mesh or solid safety covers

Check every strap, spring, buckle, and deck anchor. Springs should remain connected and show reasonably even compression around the pool. One spring that is fully stretched while neighboring springs are relaxed often indicates that the cover shifted or that another attachment point failed.

• Look for frayed strap fibers, torn stitching, bent springs, and buckles that slipped from their previous positions.
• Confirm that anchors remain straight, firmly seated, and free of newly widened gaps or cracked concrete.
• Inspect fabric around straps, seams, raised walls, steps, ladders, and sharp coping corners.
• Notice whether the cover now rubs against masonry or hardware that it previously cleared.

A small hole in open fabric is different from separation at a structural seam or strap connection. Damage near a load-bearing attachment deserves faster professional attention because wind forces may continue spreading it.

Tarp-style winter covers

Examine water bags, cover blocks, cables, grommets, and the amount of material overlapping the deck. A deflated bag or shifted weight can create an opening where the next gust gets underneath. Replace leaking bags rather than filling them completely; partially filled water bags generally lie flatter and leave room for freezing expansion.

Do not use bricks, loose concrete blocks, or other hard objects that could fall into the pool or damage the cover. If the cover pulled away from one edge, inspect its grommets and seams before simply adding more weight.

Above-ground pool covers

Look closely at the cable, winch, cover clips, pool wall, top rails, and air pillow if one is installed. A loose cable may be adjustable, but a frayed cable, distorted winch, torn grommet, or bent top rail calls for more than a quick retightening. Also check whether the cover has been pulled against a skimmer opening or another sharp edge.

Automatic covers

Inspect the fabric, leading edge, tracks, ropes, pulleys, housing, and drainage area without operating the cover immediately. Clear loose debris from the track by hand only when the system is off and the area is safe. If the leading bar is crooked, the fabric has left a track, or one side appears looser than the other, stop and arrange service. Running a misaligned cover can increase fabric, rope, or mechanism damage.

Look for Subtle Wind Damage

High winds do not always leave a dramatic rip. Repeated flapping can produce pale stress lines, stretched stitching, polished-looking abrasion marks, or small holes where fabric contacted coping. Pinholes can be found by viewing the material from different angles in daylight, but never crawl onto the cover for a closer look.

Pay special attention to inside corners, raised spas, tanning ledges, waterfalls, and irregular pool shapes. These features create changes in strap direction and tension. Covers over vinyl-lined pools also deserve careful inspection near coping tracks and sharp fittings, while fiberglass and plaster pools may have projecting features that become rub points after the cover shifts.

Check Water, Debris, and Support Conditions

Standing water can hide damage and place significant weight on a solid cover. Use the cover pump according to its instructions, keeping electrical connections dry and protected. Confirm that the pump intake and discharge hose are clear before leaving it unattended. Never try to sweep a deep puddle toward the pool edge while standing on the cover.

Mesh covers allow rain through, so inspect the pool water level below. An unusually low level can leave some safety covers unsupported beyond their intended range, while excessive water may press the cover upward. Follow the cover manufacturer's water-level guidance because the appropriate distance below the deck varies by cover and pool design.

Do Not Make These Post-Storm Mistakes

• Do not walk on the cover. Hidden attachment damage can make it less secure than it appears.
• Do not release a loaded spring or cable casually. Tensioned hardware can snap back and cause injury.
• Do not patch wet, dirty fabric immediately. Many repair materials require a clean, dry surface, and structural damage may need professional work.
• Do not operate an automatic cover to test it. First confirm that both tracks and the leading edge are aligned.
• Do not assume a cosmetic patch restores safety certification. Ask the manufacturer or installer whether the location and size of the damage affect safe use.

When to Call a Pool Cover Professional

Arrange professional inspection when an anchor has pulled from the deck, concrete is cracked around an anchor, multiple straps or springs have failed, a seam is opening, or the cover has changed shape. Service is also appropriate when automatic-cover tracks are bent, the motor strains, one side moves ahead of the other, or the leading edge no longer sits square.

Until repairs are complete, treat the cover as nonfunctional. Secure the pool area with the other barriers required for your property, keep gates latched, and maintain direct supervision around the water. A damaged cover should never be the only layer separating a person or pet from the pool.

Prepare the Cover for the Next Wind Event

Once the system is confirmed safe, restore even tension, replace damaged hardware with compatible parts, remove debris, and correct the water level. Trim hazardous branches and secure nearby furniture before the next storm, but avoid improvised tie-downs that were not designed for the cover. Extra ropes, bricks, and random weights can create concentrated loads or dangerous projectiles.

Finish by taking clear photos of the repaired cover and recording the inspection date. A quick visual check after future storms will be easier when you have a known-good reference. The goal is not merely to make the cover look flat again; it is to confirm that the fabric, attachments, support conditions, and surrounding deck are working together as a reliable system.