Hurricane Season Prep: A Water-Damage Checklist for South Florida Homes

Every June we watch the same pattern: the homes that did two weekends of prep take on a fraction of the water damage of the homes that didn't. This is the checklist we give our own families.

Before the season

Clean gutters and downspouts so roof water actually leaves. Walk your roofline (or have someone do it) looking for lifted shingles and cracked sealant around penetrations. Check window and door seals with a flashlight at night — light leaks are water leaks waiting. Trim branches that overhang the roof. And photograph every room now; pre-loss photos are claim gold.

When a storm is named

Test your sump or verify floor drains flow. Move valuables and electronics off the floor — 12 inches of height prevents most contents losses. Locate your main water shutoff and make sure everyone in the house can operate it. Stage towels, plastic sheeting, and a wet/dry vac where you can reach them without power.

After it passes

Walk the property in daylight and photograph anything wet or breached before touching it. Tarp roof damage fast — the storm's rain is followed by regular rain. And get anything that took on water professionally metered within 48 hours; post-storm humidity turns damp into mold at record speed.

Preparation doesn't make you storm-proof — it makes you claim-ready and mold-resistant, which is most of the battle. Keep our number somewhere that doesn't need a charged phone.