Storm Prep for 30A Homeowners: What to Do Before a Hurricane

The window is shorter than it looks

A hurricane watch goes up roughly 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected, and a warning roughly 36 hours before. Once sustained winds pass about 40 mph, ladders, shutters and patio furniture are no longer safe work. In practice that leaves a day and a half, and every handyman, landscaper and contractor on 30A is booked inside it.

The homes that come through cleanly are almost always the ones where someone already had the plan, the keys and the codes before the cone turned toward the Panhandle.

Outside the house

Wind turns anything loose into something that breaks glass. Start here.

• Bring patio furniture, cushions, umbrellas, grills, planters and toys inside or into the garage
• Tie down or lay flat anything too heavy to move, and stack it against a wall out of the wind
• Close storm shutters at every opening: roll-down, accordion, Bermuda or bolt-on panels
• Latch every door and window, and make sure the garage door is fully down and locked
• Clear gutters, downspouts and yard drains so rain has somewhere to go
• Take outdoor TVs, speakers and remotes inside
• Photograph every side of the house so you have a dated before picture

Inside the house

The inside list is about power loss, water and having a record.

• Unplug TVs, computers and small appliances to protect them from surges
• Set the refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings, and empty what you can
• Move rugs, electronics and anything valuable off the floor on the ground level
• Close interior doors to slow wind if a window does fail
• If the home will sit empty, consider shutting off the main water valve so a broken line cannot run for days
• Photograph every room, including closets and under sinks
• Leave a key, the alarm code and the garage opener with whoever will check the house after

If you are not in town

Most 30A homes are second homes, so most storm prep is done by someone other than the owner. HOAs in Watersound, Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach generally maintain common areas and leave each house to its owner. That leaves a home watch company, a property manager, a neighbor, or nobody.

Coastal Home Management 30A preps homes before a named storm through Storm Check, then walks the home inside and out once roads are open and sends photos with a written note. Plan clients never have to ask: storm and freeze checks are part of Coastal Elite, and every plan home is already on the list with its keys, codes and quirks on file.

Why owners move to year-round care after a storm

The scramble is the same every time: who has a key, who knows the alarm code, who knows the shutters are in the garage loft. A year-round plan answers all of that before June. The person who walks the house every visit is the same person who preps it before a storm and checks it after, so nothing has to be explained under pressure.