I have been worried about going to bed at night and leaving my awning down, it is storm season and you never know when one might blow in. One of MH's here had their awning blown up over the roof earli...
What type of awning do you have? From what I read it sounds like you have the newer electric type awning by Dometic. The electric Dometic awning should not be tied down because it will cause the arms to bend permanently out of shape. I use some support poles below the area where the arms meet the roller and they work great. I keep my awning extended in strong winds and rain with no issues.