Are you and your family ready for hurricane season 2024? Preparing your Florida home involves protecting your home and finances during hurricane season – i.e., combining practical steps with financial planning.
Read on for specific hurricane prep tips you can use right now. And don’t forget to download the latest Florida Peninsula Insurance Company hurricane preparedness guide, which you can flip through like a magazine on your phone or laptop. It covers everything you’ll need to know to survive the season, from A to Z.
Inspect & Repair Your Home
Take a mindful walk through your home, looking for signs of problems likely to only get worse without repair. Fix these issues as soon as possible – and certainly before intense wind, rain, and lightning can worsen the problem. By addressing these issues now, you’re taking important steps toward protecting your home and finances during hurricane season.
Windows & Doors
Ensure all windows and doors are secure, have sufficient caulking around the frame, and don't allow water to seep in when it rains. Consider installing hurricane-resistant windows and doors if you don't already have them. Alternatively, storm shutters are a must, whether they are the permanently installed type or temporary panels you put up before a storm.
Florida lawmakers are considering reauthorizing the sales tax holiday for impact-resistant windows and door. If passed, this holiday could give homeowners a chance to save money on these upgrades.
Roof
Perform a visual inspection of your roof for loose or missing shingles/tiles and areas where caulking has retreated or disappeared altogether. Fix or repair the issues you find. Consider having your roof professionally inspected; a wind mitigation inspection can tell you whether your roof is as secure as it could be, and what other hurricane prep measures your home may need. Depending on its findings, a wind mitigation inspection may also make you eligible for discounts or a reduced cost on your home insurance premium.
You may even qualify for a free inspection and matching grant (up to $10,000) to help pay for recommended upgrades through My Safe Florida Home, a state program designed to help Florida homeowners strengthen their homes against hurricanes. The program’s future funding is currently being considered by the Florida Legislature.
Making strategic upgrades like these can go a long way toward protecting your home and finances during hurricane season.
Gutters
It’s important to keep your gutters clear of clogs to ensure rainwater can flow, unencumbered, away from your home. This is true year-round in Florida – and especially during hurricane season. Failure to clear your gutters can result in:
- Water seeping under roof shingles/tiles and potentially leaking into the attic
- Excessive pooling of water around the base of your home, leading to foundation problems
- Growth of mold and mildew
- Rotting and deterioration of house siding
- Erosion of landscaping
- A breeding ground for mosquitos and other pests
Proper gutter maintenance is a simple but vital part of protecting your home and finances during hurricane season.
Trees & Landscaping
Consider disaster-resilient landscaping options. Keep your trees and shrubs trimmed to help them withstand strong winds. Remove some interior branches, which will allow the wind to pass through the tree more easily. Also remove weak or diseased branches, as well as any branches extending over your home. Do this early, preferably before hurricane season starts. Don't wait until a storm is approaching to trim your trees because the branches, cuttings, and other debris from the trimming may not be picked up with your garbage before the storm arrives – in which case, the branches and sticks could become dangerous airborne projectiles.
Have a Disaster Preparedness Plan
Decide how you and your family will stay safe and communicate during an emergency. A disaster preparedness plan is a critical piece of protecting your home and finances during hurricane season. You'll want to include potential evacuation routes (identify at least two), establish a meeting place away from your home should you become separated, and compile contact info for a family member or friend outside the area. Plan to take pets with you if you evacuate. Remember: If it's not safe for you to stay, it's not safe for them, either.
Create an Emergency Kit
The beginning of hurricane season is a good time to review the supplies you’ll need to ride out a hurricane and its aftermath. You’ll want to stock up on those items you’re low on. Your hurricane prep supplies should include, at the very least, water (1 gallon per person per day, for at least 3 days), nonperishable food, flashlights, a battery- or hand-crank powered radio, extra batteries, first aid kit, medications, and pet supplies.
Be Cautious With Battery-Powered Equipment
If you own an electric vehicle (EV), hybrid car, golf cart, e-bike, or e-scooter, be aware they contain lithium-ion batteries, which pose serious safety risks when exposed to saltwater. If the battery comes into contact with storm surge waters, it can damage the battery’s internal structure, potentially causing it to overheat, catch fire, or even explode days or weeks after the storm has passed.
To reduce your risk:
- Move battery-powered vehicles and equipment to higher ground before the storm.
- Never attempt to charge or power on a battery after it’s come into contact with saltwater.
- Move compromised vehicles at least 50’ away from your home and contact the dealership for a professional inspection.
Staying aware of these risks is one more way to protect your home and finances during hurricane season.
And a Go-Bag, Too!
This is critical should you need to evacuate. It’s a smaller, lighter, and portable version of the hurricane prep supplies kept in your home. Your go-bag should include your most important documents – such as your ID, passport, insurance policy – in a waterproof bag, as well as a toothbrush and toothpaste, wet wipes, sunscreen, insect repellent, bottled water, protein bars, soap, shampoo, personal hygiene products, a whistle, and more.
Review Your Home Insurance
Before we get too much further into hurricane season, make sure your current homeowners insurance policy is up to date.
Have there been significant purchases or additions/renovations to the home since the policy was purchased? You may need to increase coverage limits so you're protected in full.
What about flood insurance? Flooding commonly occurs with hurricanes – and even without a storm! Lots of rainfall in a short period of time, or a problem with drainage can result in flooding around your home any time of year. Flood insurance can cover these occurrences. It’s critical to understand property damage due to rising waters is NOT covered under the standard homeowners insurance policy.
Making sure your insurance coverage is up to date is one of the most important steps in protecting your home and finances during hurricane season.
Document Your Possessions
Keep a record of your belongings – and take photos or a video of it all before a storm. A home inventory like this can streamline the claims process, should your personal property be damaged or lost in a hurricane. By updating your inventory each year, you can see when you may need to update your insurance coverage (after the purchase of big-ticket items, for example). Store the inventory in a safe, waterproof location, as well as electronically so you’ll have easy access to it via the cloud if you need it.
Home Improvements Can Save You Money
If you’re wondering whether to make certain hurricane prep home upgrades now or later, it’s worth asking your Florida Peninsula insurance agent whether you may be entitled to a reduction in insurance costs with the upgrade. This might include projects such as installing hurricane-resistant doors and windows or retrofitting the roof. Your insurance savings may help offset some of the costs involved in fortifying your home to better withstand hurricanes.
Create an Emergency Fund
Ideally, this is a separate account you’ve contributed to over time. While 10 years ago may have been the best time to create such a fund, the second-best time is right now.
Your emergency fund could be used to make home repairs, hurricane prep upgrades, or to cover a few weeks of living expenses (e.g., hotel, gas, food) in case you have to evacuate your home before or after a hurricane.
Aim to build up enough to cover several weeks of basic living expenses, especially if your home becomes uninhabitable after a hurricane. This includes costs such as hotel stays, gas, food, and pet boarding. Your emergency fund can also help pay insurance deductibles, cover storm-related repairs, or fund home improvements to make your home more resilient.
This fund can help you stay resilient while protecting your home and finances during hurricane season.
Hurricane Prep Is Part of Life in Florida
Hurricane prep is part of life in Florida – and something to take seriously every year. This includes tackling the physical tasks necessary to strengthen your home against storms, as well as adopting financial strategies to help pay for expenses along the way. With the right preparation, you’ll feel more confident about protecting your home and finances during hurricane season.
To review your Florida Peninsula Insurance Company policy, contact your agent. If you’re not yet insured by Florida Peninsula, get started exploring your coverage options with an online quote.
