Living in Florida you are likely no stranger to the risks of hurricane season. Often people prepare as a storm is approaching. But what can you do before the storm is on its way? As a homeowner there are several important steps you can take to ensure that your home and your family are ready for the storms. While we would of course recommend having impact rated windows and doors on your home, Here are some ways to prepare for hurricane season that you can do yourself!

Protect Your Home

When you purchase your home you likely signed a lot of paperwork and purchased homeowners and flood insurance. It is important to keep important documents such as insurance policies, passports, titles, etc. in a waterproof container. Depending on the amount of papers it could be a dedicated waterproof container in your hurricane preparedness kit or maybe digital copies of these important items on a thumb drive.

Document, Document, Document

When we say document, what we mean is inspect. Before a storm approaches it is important to get a complete assessment of your home with photos. In the unlikely case your home suffers damage you will be able to provide your insurance company with the required documentation to support your claim. This could save you from costly out of pocket repairs on your home. Additionally it may help you with home warranty claims, or claims for things such as solar panels.

Hurricane Preparedness Kits

HurricaneSafety.org has some incredible information regarding hurricane preparedness and the essentials to have on hand. Below are some of the common essentials that you want to always have on hand even before the storm comes:

• Nonperishable food & clean water. Don’t forget a manual can opener.
• Install carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup in central locations on every level of your home.
• Check your smoke and monoxide detectors and ensure they have fresh batteries.
• Refill prescription medicines
• A disaster prep kit for each member of your family to ensure their safety and comfort during a power outage. A basic kit should include bottled water, non-perishable food and battery-powered flashlights.

Safety is Important

Don’t forget that being prepared as important part of hurricane safety. Whether you upgrade to impact windows and doors, or simply keep your hurricane preparedness kits stocked and ready. Your safety and well-being is a top priority.