Florida Homeowners’ Hurricane Season Playbook
General Knowledge • Sep 17, 2025
Hurricane Season Survival Guide : Tips for Florida Homeowners.
If you’re a Florida homeowner, you already know the drill: hurricane season shows up every year like an uninvited guest who doesn’t RSVP but somehow stays for dinner. Between June and November, your home faces heavy winds, flooding, power outages, and possibly even flying lawn chairs (yep, your neighbor’s patio furniture could become airborne).
So, what can you do to protect your biggest investment—and your sanity—during hurricane season? Let’s dive into some practical, but genuinely useful tips.
1. Start with the Basics: Stock Up Before the Panic
We’ve all seen it—the bread and milk shelves emptying like it’s the apocalypse. But in Florida, your true best friends during hurricane season are:
- Bottled water
- Batteries
- Flashlights
- Tools
- A manual can opener (because canned beans don’t open themselves)
- And yes…coffee (don’t test your neighbors’ patience when the power goes out).
Pro Tip: Buy supplies before the first storm makes the news. Otherwise, you’ll be fighting for the last loaf of bread like it’s the Hunger Games.
2. Fortify Your Castle
Think of your home like a knight preparing for battle. A few key steps can make the difference between a fortress and a soggy disaster:
- Install hurricane shutters or use plywood to protect windows. (No, duct tape doesn’t work—it just makes your house look like it belongs in a crime show.)
- Check your roof. Loose shingles can turn into dangerous projectiles.
- Clear gutters and drains. You don’t want your driveway turning into a river.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to secure outdoor furniture, grills, and garden gnomes. They may look harmless, but in 100 mph winds, they become backyard missiles.
3. Safeguard Your Paper Trail
Water damage doesn’t just destroy your walls—it can also ruin important paperwork. Keep insurance policies, property records, and warranties in a waterproof container. Or better yet, upload them digitally to your TradeCrews Home Journal. That way, even if your filing cabinet is floating, your documents aren’t.
4. Prep Your Insurance Before the Storm Hits
The time to review your insurance policy isn’t when the storm is already knocking on your door. Make sure you:
- Know your coverage.
- Understand your deductible.
- Keep your insurance agent’s number handy (and maybe even bribe them with cookies).
Remember: If it’s not written in your policy, it’s not covered.
PRO Tip: Having your Jack's Report ready to go is like having an Ace up your sleeve. Insurance companies love them!
PRO Tip: Having your Jack's Report ready to go is like having an Ace up your sleeve. Insurance companies love them!
5. Make Friends with Your Neighbors
Hurricane prep is a team sport. Good neighbors can help watch your property if you evacuate, share resources, or even lend you a generator. (Just don’t be that neighbor who borrows but never returns.)
6. Think Ahead: Post-Storm Recovery
Once the storm passes, the real work begins. You’ll need to:
- Document any damage with photos and receipts.
- Call your insurance company ASAP.
- Be patient—contractors will be in high demand.
This is where, again, Jack’s Report in TradeCrews can save you headaches. By keeping track of your home’s health history, past repairs, and receipts, you’ll have everything you need ready for insurance claims and contractor follow-ups.
7. Keep a Sense of Humor
Yes, hurricanes are serious. But laughter is a survival tool too. Whether it’s joking about storm snacks (is six bags of chips enough?) or naming your generator “Power Ranger,” a little humor keeps spirits high when the winds howl.
Final Thoughts & CTA
Hurricane season in Florida isn’t going away anytime soon—but with the right preparation, it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. By stocking up early, securing your home, organizing your documents, and using tools like the TradeCrews Home Journal and Jack’s Report, you’ll be steps ahead when the storms roll in.
So don’t just weather the storm—outsmart it. Start organizing your home’s history and health today with TradeCrews. Because when the winds pick up, the last thing you want is to be unprepared.