What should the house have ready before hurricane season?
Say what the property is and what it has. You get a one-page checklist for the house, the papers, the supplies, the yard and the storm itself. Shutters are one line of it; the rest is the part people forget.
Your checklist
Hurricane prep checklist
onecallaccordionshutters.com
The openings
- Every window, sliding door and entry door has protection: accordion shutters, panels or impact glass. List any opening that has none.
- Every accordion shutter has been closed and locked once this year and opens again.
- Shutter keys are on one ring by the door, and someone else knows where.
- Garage door: know whether it is rated for wind or needs a brace; the maker's label says.
- A neighbour or relative has a key and the gate code if you are away.
Papers and photos
- Photos of every room, the outside of the house and the closed shutters, saved to your phone and the cloud.
- Insurance policy numbers and the claims phone number in your phone and on paper.
- ID, deeds or lease, and medical lists in a zip bag you can carry.
- Your county's evacuation zone and the nearest shelter, looked up before the season, not during.
Water, food and power
- Water: a gallon per person per day for at least three days; seven is better.
- Food that needs no cooking for the same days, and a manual can opener.
- Phone chargers, a battery bank, a battery radio, flashlights and batteries.
- Cash in small bills; cards do not work when the power is out.
- Medications for two weeks, and a first-aid kit.
Outside
- Patio furniture, grills, planters, bins and toys inside or tied down.
- Gutters and drains clear; loose fence boards and gate latches fixed.
- Car fuelled, parked away from trees, and not in a flood-prone street.
- Trees trimmed before the season (not in the week a storm is named; the debris has nowhere to go).
During the storm
- Stay inside, away from windows, even with shutters closed.
- Fill tubs and containers with water before it hits; turn the fridge and freezer to their coldest.
- One shuttered exit you can open quickly from inside.
- Turn off the power at the breaker if water enters the house.
For evacuation orders, shelters and official guidance follow your county's emergency management office and the National Hurricane Center. This list is about the house; they are about you.
An opening with no protection, or a shutter that will not close? That is the one line to fix first.
How this works
The list is written for Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach: concrete block homes with shutters or panels, condos with balcony rules, storefronts with keyed shutters, pools and screen enclosures, and a season that runs June to November.
It covers the house and what is in it. Evacuation orders, shelters and official instructions come from your county's emergency management office and the National Hurricane Center, and they overrule anything on a checklist.
It runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent anywhere. It is a guide, not a quote or a professional assessment — products, openings and walls differ, so follow the maker's instructions where they disagree, and the installer confirms what the job needs when they measure it.
Questions people ask
- When does hurricane season start in South Florida?
- June 1, and it runs to November 30. The busiest months are usually August to October. Getting the house ready by June 1 means the last-minute list is short.
- What is the single most important thing for the house?
- That every opening can be protected: shutters that close and lock, panels that fit, or impact glass. An opening with no protection is the one to fix first.
- Should I tape the windows?
- No. Tape does not stop glass breaking and leaves a mess. Close the shutters, fit the panels, or stay away from unprotected glass.
- Where can I find my evacuation zone?
- Your county emergency management office publishes the zones and shelters: Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach each have a map. Look it up before the season, not during.
- Can a generator run in the garage with the door open?
- No. Generators run outside, well away from windows and doors. Carbon monoxide from a generator in a garage or near an open window is deadly.
Other free tools
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