A Practical Hurricane Prep Checklist for the Home

The most useful hurricane prep checklist for a house is the one you work through before the season starts, not during a warning. Once a storm is named and heading your way, roofers, electricians and other trades are booked up, supplies run short, and there is only time for the basics. Repairs to the roof, the openings, the electrical system and the drainage around the house all take planning. Here is what is worth doing early, sorted by trade, and what to leave for the warning itself.

Before the season, not during a warning

A warning gives you time to put up shutters, bring in loose items, fill the car and secure documents. It does not give you time to fix a loose roof tile, rewire a generator connection or replace a damaged garage door. Think of the season ahead in two parts:

• Before the season: inspections, repairs and upgrades that need a licensed trade, a permit or parts that take time to arrive.
• During a warning: quick, physical tasks you can do yourself in a day.

The rest of this hurricane prep checklist is about the first part.

Roof

The roof takes the brunt of the wind, and small faults become big ones in a storm. A loose tile or a lifted shingle edge gives the wind a place to grip.

1. Have a licensed roofer inspect the roof, especially if it has been through earlier storms.
2. Repair cracked, slipped or missing tiles, and lifted or creased shingles.
3. Check the flashing around walls, vents and valleys, and replace cracked pipe boots.
4. Look at the soffit and fascia. Loose or rotted panels can tear off and let wind-driven rain into the attic.
5. Clear the gutters and downspouts so heavy rain drains away from the house.
6. Photograph the roof from the ground in good condition, with the date. It helps any claim later.

If the roof is near the end of its life, the off-season is the time to talk about a re-roof. A re-roof is a permitted job and takes planning. Financing is available for larger roof work; ask about it when you call.

Windows, doors and shutters

Openings are the other weak point. If wind gets inside through a broken window or a failed garage door, the pressure inside the house can push up on the roof from below.

• Check that your shutters are complete, labelled and stored where you can reach them. Count the fasteners and anchors.
• Test the tracks and anchors in the walls. Corroded or missing anchors need replacing before shutters can hold.
• If you are thinking about impact windows, impact doors or new shutters, plan it now. Exterior openings in South Florida must meet the wind code, need a permit, and must be installed by a licensed contractor.
• Look at the garage door. It is often the largest opening in the house. A pro can tell you whether it is rated for wind or can be braced.
• Replace worn weatherstripping and caulk gaps around frames to cut down wind-driven rain.

Electrical

Power is often out after a storm, sometimes for a while. The time to plan for it is now.

• Generators. A portable generator must never be plugged into a household outlet to feed the house. That can send power back down the line and endanger utility workers. A licensed electrician can install a transfer switch or interlock so a generator can power chosen circuits safely.
• Standby generators. A permanent generator needs an electrician, a permit, and often a gas or plumbing connection. It takes planning.
• Surge protection. Power surges are common when power comes back. An electrician can fit whole-house surge protection at the panel.
• Outdoor circuits. Check that outdoor outlets have weatherproof covers and that GFCI outlets trip and reset as they should.
• Panel. If breakers trip often or the panel is old, have it checked before the season. A storm is a bad time to find out.

Plumbing

Water problems before and after a storm are easier to manage if you know your system.

1. Find the main water shut-off and make sure it turns. Stuck valves are common. A plumber can replace a seized one.
2. Learn how to shut off the water heater, and the gas to it if it is gas.
3. Check that drains outside the house, such as yard drains and area drains, are clear.
4. If your home has a backflow preventer or a sewer cleanout, know where it is.
5. Fix slow leaks now. A drip under a sink can turn into a soaked cabinet when nobody is home.

Air conditioning

The outdoor unit sits in the open, and the system has to cope with power cuts and surges.

• Check that the outdoor unit is fixed down to its pad. In South Florida, outdoor units are required to be secured against wind. Loose or rusted tie-downs need attention.
• Clear branches and loose items from around the unit.
• Have the system serviced before the season, so you go in with clean coils and a clear drain line.
• After a power cut, wait a short while before turning the system back on, and only once power is stable.

Small repairs that matter more than they look

Some of the most useful work before the season is not licensed work at all. A handyman can take care of many small jobs that reduce the chance of damage:

• Fixing loose fence panels and gate latches, which can become debris
• Repairing screens and screen enclosure doors
• Securing loose trim and siding pieces
• Re-caulking around windows and door frames
• Anchoring or replacing loose shed doors
• Mounting hooks and brackets so shutters and panels are easy to fit

These are minor, non-structural jobs. Anything that involves a roof, a wall opening, wiring or plumbing still goes to a licensed contractor.

Trees and the yard

Trees and loose objects cause a great deal of damage in a storm. Before the season, have dead branches and limbs over the roof cut back by a tree service, and keep in mind that trimming near power lines is a job for the utility or a qualified line-clearance crew. Note anything in the yard that will need bringing in during a warning, such as furniture, planters and grills.

Paperwork

Paperwork is part of any good hurricane prep checklist. Before the season:

• Read your insurance policy and the declarations page. Check the hurricane deductible and what is covered.
• Take photos and video of the whole house, inside and out, including the roof from the ground.
• Keep receipts for roof, opening and electrical work in one place.
• Keep the permits and final inspections for shutters, windows and roof work. Insurers may ask for them.

During a warning

When a storm is on its way, the jobs are short and practical: put up the shutters, bring in loose items, charge phones and batteries, fill containers with water, turn the fridge and freezer to their coldest settings, and follow the county’s instructions on evacuation. With the work above done before the season, the hurricane prep checklist for the warning itself is far shorter.

How One Call fits in

One Call Home Pros connects you with the right vetted local pro for each part of your hurricane prep checklist. Tell us what you want looked at, and we arrange a licensed roofer, electrician, plumber or AC contractor, or a vetted, insured handyman for the smaller jobs. The pro does the work. One Call arranges it, vets the pro and stays with the job. You pay One Call, and One Call pays the pro.

Get ready before the season

The off-season is the time to get the roof, openings and systems checked. Tell One Call what you want done, and we connect you with vetted, licensed local pros.