5 Steps to Prepare Your Home for Hurricane Season

Hurricane season hits Florida every year, and every year the first storm causes panic. You can avoid the panic buying and being out in dangerous conditions securing your home with a few simple steps. Taking these steps also means that you get what you need if you must call Central Florida Property Claims.

Review Your Insurance Policy Beforehand for Best Public Adjuster Results

A public adjuster helps you handle your insurance claim to ensure your insurance company covers your hurricane damages. However, companies like Central Florida Property Claims rely on you having an insurance policy that covers hurricane damage. You can always reach out to Central Florida Property Claims to review your policy.

You should review your policy with your insurance agent when there is not a storm pending. You want to ensure you have coverage for wind, water, and other hurricane damage in your policy. Additionally, you may wish to add flood insurance for extra protection.

Set Up Emergency Supplies

Next on the list is supplies to hold you and your family through the days after the storm. You do not know whether your area will lose power or become inaccessible. That means you should have a minimum of three days of food, medication, and water stored, though a week is better.

If you do this shopping for non-perishable supplies before hurricane season, you should find everything you need quickly. Remember that you should pick up food you can cook without conventional appliances since the power may be out and store supplies in a dry place.

Keep Your Outdoor Areas Tidy

During a hurricane, any object can become a projectile. You want to minimize the items in your yard that can fly around in the hurricane to reduce damage. This requirement often means trimming trees thoroughly and bringing outdoor furniture indoors well before the storm.

You should also ensure your gutters are clean and free of debris. Hurricanes dump several inches of rain every hour, and your gutter system helps funnel it away from your home’s foundations. This feature minimizes the risk of flooding, which is hard to convince an insurance company to cover even for a Central Florida public adjuster.

Reinforce the Least Secure Points of Your Home

Windows, exterior doors, roofs, and garage doors are the most likely points of your home for damage. Flying debris can puncture them, and wind speeds are such that even your roof can lift away.

Fortunately, you can reinforce all of these points. There are shutters available to protect the glass in windows. Meanwhile, specialized braces ensure that exterior doors, roofs, and garage doors are secure. Using these items limits your need for a Central Florida public adjuster.

Update Inventory and Evacuation Plans

Home inventory is essential while preparing for hurricane season. Your insurance company will only reimburse what you can list for them. Keeping an inventory of your home’s contents only helps your case with a Central Florida public adjuster on your side.

While you are confirming inventory, you should also print out multiple evacuation routes. You do not know if you will be in a mandatory evacuation zone. Central Florida Property Claims can help you rebuild your home as long as you make it back after the storm.

Make sure you have your identification, insurance policies, and other vital documents in a safe place you can easily grab. This preparation helps you stay safe and helps Central Florida Property Claims get you what you need from your insurance company after a storm.