Any storm, big or small, has an effect on the trails that it crosses over. These effects could be immediate such as trees falling or more long-term effects like erosion. Both pose problems for any trail along the Appalachian Mountains, and it is the job of volunteers and trail managers to ensure the longevity of each trail.

As rainfall is commonplace in any storm, the removal and management of excess water on the trails is important. There are multiple methods that can be incorporated prior to an actual storm. Waterbars are a common one. Waterbars are logs or rocks which are placed diagonally across a sloping trail to manage the erosion caused by water. However, they require frequent maintenance to ensure their effectiveness. Another option are Grade Reversals. These are short sections of a trail that change from climbing to descending and then back again. Their presence allows water to sheet across the trail where it does less damage as compared to if it were allowed to flow down the mountain freely. These Grade Reversals are also relatively self-maintaining and are often incorporated into newer trails.

One long-term effect of rain on the trail is erosion. It's an inevitability that will occur, but there are multiple ways it can be managed to mitigate the effects. As mentioned previously, items such as waterbars are used to lessen the effects of erosion caused by rainfall. If the damage has already been done, either from rain or overuse of the trail, the trail may need to be restored. Sidehill restoration is one such example, where sidehills that have been compacted from overuse need to be reshaped to avoid heightened damage from rainfall. Switchback erosion can also become a problem as people go off the trail to take shortcuts, leading to severe erosion in the area. As the trail isn't supervised 24/7, the best way to discourage this is to simply block the paths with log cuttings or rocks.

Blowdowns are another common problem following a storm. This primarily refers to fallen trees, but other greenery can also be uprooted during storms as well which contributes to the problem. Blowdowns are usually just cleared out by volunteers or trail staff with chainsaws. Other officials may be brought in if the damage is severe enough. However, it is possible to use some of the fallen trees for other things as previously mentioned. The trunks could be used to block harmful shortcuts or in waterbars, but this is only plausibly as long as they are not hinderous to hikers on the trail.

A final option is to reroute a section of the trail. Any rerouting, whether it be minor or major, has to go through many people before it is approved. Some reasons behind moving a section of the trail could be due to overuse and thus heightened risk of erosional damage, or severe damage from a major storm.