Pothole damage spikes in March and April as winter freeze-thaw cycles damage asphalt. Cities lag in repairs, and drivers hit potholes faster than potholes are filled.
Pothole damage includes: flat tires from sidewall punctures, bent rims (often not visible externally), suspension damage (struts, control arm bushings, tie rod ends), alignment knocked out, undercarriage scrapes.
A hard pothole hit at 30+ MPH can crack an alloy wheel, bend a rim enough to leak air slowly, or push a tire's sidewall into the rim hard enough to cause internal damage that fails later.
Defensive driving in spring: scan ahead for potholes, slow down through known bad sections, avoid swerving around potholes (lane departure can be worse than hitting the hole).
If you hit a pothole hard: pull over safely, check tires for visible damage, listen for hissing (slow leak), monitor handling for the next several miles. Some damage shows up after time, not immediately.