Get your house hurricane-ready before the season starts

01Know which hazard you're actually defending against

A hurricane is really four separate problems arriving together. Which one matters most depends on where you live — a house ten miles inland has a very different risk profile from one on a barrier island, even under the same storm.

02Harden the roof and every opening

Wind damage usually starts small — a few lifted shingles or one broken window — and then escalates. Once wind gets inside, pressure builds against the roof from below. Keeping the envelope closed is the single biggest structural win.

1. Have the roof inspected in spring

   Ask a roofer to check edge flashing, loose or missing shingles, and how the deck is fastened. Re-nailing a deck with ring-shank nails is far cheaper during a planned re-roof than after a storm.

2. Ask about hurricane straps or clips

   Metal connectors tie the roof framing to the walls. Retrofitting is easiest where the attic is accessible; a contractor can tell you what's practical for your house.

3. Treat the garage door as the weak point

   Large doors flex and blow in. If yours isn't rated for your area's wind load, a retrofit bracing kit or a rated replacement is one of the best-value upgrades you can make.

4. Decide on window protection before June

   Shutters and impact glass take weeks to order and install. Plywood is a last resort — it works only if it's pre-cut, labeled, and has its fasteners already in the wall.

03Plan for water before you plan for wind

Standard homeowners policies exclude flood damage, including surge and rain-driven flooding. That gap catches people every year, often in neighborhoods that have never flooded before.

1. Check your flood map — and then ignore its comfort

   Enter your address at msc.fema.gov. A low-risk zone still floods; it's just less likely in any one year.

2. Buy flood insurance in the off-season

   New NFIP policies usually take 30 days to start, so a policy bought when a storm is already in the Gulf won't help with that storm. Our insurance guide covers private flood options too.

3. Keep the sump pump running without power

   A battery backup pump keeps the basement or crawlspace dry when the grid goes down — which is exactly when it's raining hardest.

4. Move what matters up

   Store documents, photos, and anything irreplaceable off the floor of basements and ground-level storage rooms all season, not just the day before.

04Decide how you'll ride out a long outage

After a strong landfall, power can take one to three weeks to come back. The question isn't whether you'll lose power — it's which things you need to keep running and for how long.

05When a storm is named — the countdown

1. 5 days
   Stock up and top up.

   Refill prescriptions, get cash, fill vehicles and fuel cans, and buy anything missing from your kit before the shelves empty.

2. 3 days
   Decide whether you're leaving.

   If you're in a surge zone, live in a mobile home, or depend on power for medical equipment, plan to go. Book a room or confirm a host now.

3. 2 days
   Close up the house.

   Put up shutters, brace the garage door, bring in furniture and planters, and clear gutters and drains.

4. 1 day
   Prep the inside.

   Charge every battery, set the fridge and freezer to their coldest, fill clean containers with drinking water, and photograph each room for insurance.

5. After
   Wait, then document.

   Stay off the roads until officials say otherwise. Photograph damage before cleanup, then make temporary repairs to stop further damage and keep receipts.