My japanese maples went undamaged. They are somewhat protected though and I am on the east side of Raleigh, which didn't get hit as hard as some of you guys.
Some trees (luckily japanese maples are among them) keep a second set of leaves in reserve for just such situations. If I understand correctly, you get only one backup set per growing season. This puts a strain on the tree so you should be sure to keep it well watered during droughts and don't do any heavy pruning or try and move it this year.
I have a funny story with a japanese maple and the leaves. When I got married a friend bought me a small laceleaf jap. maple. It had a sweet note on it saying "may your love grows as this tree does." Since I was going on a honeymoon a friend kept it for me. Lets just say that she is plant challenged. She really tried, but when I got the tree all the leaves were curled up and falling off. So here I get this dead looking tree with a note comparing it to my love. However, in good faith I planted it and then the second set of leaves emerged. The tree is doing great and I am still married (10 years this Sept.). It was only after this that I learned about the leaf buds they keep in reserve. We have a good laugh about it now. Usually at the expense of my plant challenged, but very good, friend. -Ais.

that's a great story ais! you'll have to take that tree with you if you ever move.

i didn't know they had a specific set they kept in reserves, but knew that lots of species have hidden buds that can pop out on the stems if the main ones get fried. my jm's showed a little damage, but not too much- just some dead spots in some leaves, but no whole leaves that i saw, so it think they'll keep them. tam

That was good news to hear. I have been worried about my Japanese Maple, because it suffered frost/freeze damage. I examine it every day. The leaves are turning brown,brittle and are falling off. So there's hope after all. It has been an unusual Spring so far.

I hope you are right about the second set of leaves. We don't have JMs - just oaks and hickories and such out in our woods. And they don't have leaves! All over the county there are trees fully leafed out but not ours. We are on a high spot and we took a hard hit from the freeze. The trees were fully budded but not in leaf yet. All the buds froze. I'm just seriously hoping we get leaves this season. SURELY, they won't just stay bare!!?

I'm sure the trees in your woods will be fine. Alot of our big trees are budding just the last couple of days. You have to figure as old as they must be they've surely have been through this before. I'm curious how this will affect the fall color this year.

I have a Japanese Maple in a large pot that the leaves had not fully opened when the freeze hit. The leaves seemed to curl inward and get limp but they are slowly opening now and show little signs of burn. I had planned on planting it soon but since the roots have escaped the pot and gone into the soil I wonder if it would be too stressful to disturb it now. I've got a few years growth invested in it and need to figure what's best for it.

Shari, I think, if it is in a spot where you can do so, that you can simply cut away the pot, as long as it isn't something that would be too difficult to break or remove, and then pile a large mound of soil over the roots. The most problematic thing would be removing the as much as possible of the bottom of the existing pot, as it would continue to constrict the roots that were growing out therough the hole(s), but the roots that would grow out from the sides of root ball would compensate for them eventually. If the sides of the mound sloped down gradually to meet the existing ground level, you could mulch over the mound and plant other things that would be compatible with the JM.

You could also simply dig under the pot to loosen the soil and then lift the pot, roots and all, and either cut the pot off, leaving the root intact, if it is a plastic nursery pot, and plant it or cut off the roots and plant it, if the roots are too big to fit back through the hole or the pot is too solid or of a material that won't cut or you don't want to break. Cutting the roots would set the tree back a bit, but not too horribly if you did it soon - the longer you leave the task, the more the tree will grow and rely on the roots.

Since the JM seems to be recovering from the freeze, I would do it soon, before the really hot weather sets in. Pay careful attention to the tree's watering needs, since it will be more stressed from both events than it would from only one of them happening to it. In future, slightly moving plants in pots a couple of times a month stops roots from growing into the soil underneath them. That the roots are doing that can also be a signal that you need to pot-on the plant into a larger pot or into the ground.