Preparing Your Home Before Storm Season

Impact windows are the most convenient long-term option because they require no setup before a storm. If your home uses shutters or panels, make sure hardware is intact, panels are labeled, and you can install them well before conditions deteriorate.

Look for lifted or missing tiles, worn flashing, and stains inside the home. A pre-season roof review can identify small problems before wind and rain turn them into large ones.

The garage door is one of the most vulnerable openings in a home. A reinforced or impact-rated garage door can prevent the pressurization inside the home that leads to serious structural damage.

Patio furniture, planters, grills, umbrellas, and decorative items should have a clear plan. Know where each item will be secured or stored, and have that plan ready before a watch is issued.

Keep policy documents, wind mitigation reports, and photos of the home's interior and exterior stored somewhere accessible. Update the photos each year so any post-storm claim has clear before-and-after references.

Make sure everyone in the household knows the plan: where important documents are, where supplies are kept, who to call, and what the decision-making process looks like if evacuation becomes a possibility.

Preparation is easier every year when the home itself is set up for it — impact windows and doors, a sound roof, a reinforced garage, and updated documentation. Each of these decisions makes the next storm season quieter and less stressful.