The week a hurricane appears on the cone is not when you should start preparing. Every restoration company in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Palm Beach has the same conversation every August with the same homeowners: I wish I'd done x last month. Roof inspections, gutter cleaning, tree trimming, shutter testing — none of these are emergency tasks. They're maintenance tasks that prevent emergencies.
This is a 30-day prep plan built around the way real Florida storms hit. It works backward from a storm day -7 to a storm day -30, with everything in the right order so you're not buying plywood the night before a Cat-3 lands.
Why 30 days matters
A few realities of South Florida hurricane season that justify the runway:
- Big-box stores sell out fast. Generators, batteries, plywood, sandbags, gas cans, and even bottled water disappear from Home Depot and Lowes 48–72 hours before a major storm. Stocking now is cheaper and easier.
- Roofers, tree trimmers, and shutter installers book out. A roofer who can come do an inspection in March will not be available 5 days before landfall.
- Insurance binder windows close. Florida insurance carriers stop writing new policies and binding additional coverage once a storm enters a certain proximity. You can't buy more coverage during the watch period.
- Permits and inspections take time. Impact window installs, new shutters, and any structural improvements need permitting that runs weeks.
The homes that come through hurricane season with minimal damage are the ones whose owners did the work in April, May, and June. Not the ones who tried to do it in August.
Day -30 to -21: structure and exterior
The longest-lead-time items go first.
Roof inspection. Hire a licensed Florida roofer to do a pre-season inspection. They'll check loose tiles, lifted shingles, deteriorating underlayment, flashing condition, and roof age. A 20-year-old roof on the cone is not a great place to be — repair or replacement scheduled before peak season is materially less expensive than after a storm.
Tree and palm assessment. Hire a certified arborist (or a tree service that does pre-storm pruning) to evaluate your trees. Specific things to check:
- Royal palms — fronds become 30-pound spears at 70 mph. Trim now.
- Ficus and oak limbs over the roof — limbs that could fall on the house come off.
- Trees that have been previously topped or damaged — these are higher fail-risk in wind.
Stucco and exterior wall inspection. Walk the perimeter of the house. Hairline cracks at window corners and along expansion joints are entry points for wind-driven rain. Seal anything that's compromised with elastomeric stucco patch.
Gutters and scuppers. Clean all gutters, downspouts, and (for flat-roof homes) scuppers and drain openings. Verify water flows where it should. Standing water on a flat roof during a storm is roof failure waiting to happen.
Window and door maintenance. Re-caulk perimeter joints. Test slider locks. Clean window weep holes.
Day -21 to -14: utilities and systems
Air conditioning service. A professional pre-season AC service includes condensate line flush, coil cleaning, refrigerant check, float switch test, and filter replacement. A failed AC during the aftermath of a hurricane is one of the most common service calls.
Generator service. If you have a permanent home generator, have it serviced. Test it under load. Replace the battery if it's more than 4 years old. Verify fuel storage and the transfer switch.
Portable generator readiness. Verify it starts. Verify you have heavy-gauge extension cords for the equipment you'd want to run. Buy gas cans and verify they're sealed.
Hot water heater. If yours is 12+ years old, replace before season.
Smart water shutoff. If you don't have one, install one. They're particularly valuable when you're evacuated.
Sump pump test. If you have one, run it. Replace if it doesn't start cleanly.
Day -14 to -7: shutters, supplies, and documentation
Test storm shutters.
- Accordion shutters: deploy and engage every one. Lubricate tracks if needed.
- Roll-down shutters: cycle each one. Check motor operation and battery backup.
- Hurricane panels: count them, verify hardware, label by window.
- Bahama shutters: test hinges and wing nuts.
Buy hurricane supplies. Build out a 7-day kit per person:
- Water (1 gallon per person per day for 7 days).
- Non-perishable food.
- Manual can opener.
- Batteries (D and AA).
- Flashlights (one per person plus extras).
- First-aid kit, medications, copies of prescriptions.
- Cash (ATMs go down).
- Phone backup chargers (multiple, charged).
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio.
- Tarps and rope (for emergency roof patching).
- Plywood (if your home isn't impact-rated and you don't have shutters).
Document your home for insurance. Video-walk every room, take detailed photos of expensive contents, store the documentation in cloud storage.
Verify your insurance is current. Wind coverage, flood coverage if applicable, mold endorsement. Florida carriers close binding 48 hours before a storm approaches.
Identify your evacuation routes. Know where you're going. Know the route. Know the alternates.
Day -7 to -3: the cone is on you
Storm approaches the Florida coast. This is when most homeowners start the work. You should be finishing it instead.
- Gas up vehicles — gas stations go dry 36 hours out.
- Refill prescriptions — pharmacies get overrun.
- Charge everything — phones, laptops, battery packs.
- Move outdoor furniture and grills inside.
- Trim any branches the arborist missed.
- Photograph the outside and inside of the home again. Time-stamped, before-storm.
- Bring in pool floats, toys, and loose deck items.
- Empty trash cans and tie them in the garage.
Day -2 to -1: protection
- Install shutters or plywood.
- Lower water levels in pools if local advisory recommends.
- Turn refrigerator and freezer to coldest settings.
- Fill bathtubs with water for toilet flushing if water service goes out.
- Update friends and family on your plans.
- Decide on evacuation vs. shelter in place — don't make this decision at midnight when the cone shifts.
- Park vehicles away from trees if possible.
The day of the storm
- Stay inside. Don't go out to look.
- Stay away from windows even with shutters up.
- Don't open doors during the storm.
- Track the storm on a battery radio.
- Document any damage in progress with photos if you can do so safely.
The first 24 hours after the storm
- Don't go outside until officially safe. Downed power lines are deadly.
- Don't drive through standing water.
- Photograph all damage before any cleanup. Wide shots and close-ups.
- Don't run a generator inside or in a garage. Carbon monoxide kills more people after hurricanes than the storms themselves.
- Call your insurance carrier and a restoration company.
- Be very cautious about Assignment of Benefits documents that show up at your door.
When to call RestoFlo
If your home took damage during or after a hurricane in South Florida, call us. We respond 24/7, document everything for your insurance carrier, and stay with the project from emergency mitigation through final reconstruction.
24/7 emergency line: (754) 289-4815.
