Hurricane season · Vacation homes
Hurricane Prep for a 30A Vacation Home You Are Not At
Insured Florida LLC · Watersound Origins · Alys · Rosemary · Scenic 30A
You are in Atlanta, Nashville or Dallas, the cone is pointed at the Panhandle, and the house is sitting there with the patio set out. This is how owners handle it from out of town.
By Ryder Schilling, owner of Coastal Home Management 30A · Updated October 8, 2026
The short answer
A vacation home on Scenic 30A gets prepped for a hurricane by someone local acting for the owner, usually a home watch company. The prep is the same as for a lived-in home: outdoor furniture in or tied down, shutters closed, doors, windows and the garage latched, electronics unplugged, and photos taken. The differences for an empty vacation home are what to shut off (many owners close the main water valve), what to leave on (refrigerator, and often the AC so the house does not sit humid if power holds), and who checks it after, since nobody will be there to notice a leak. Coastal Home Management 30A preps vacation and second homes from Inlet Beach to Rosemary Beach before a named storm and sends photos after it passes. Coastal Home Management 30A does not manage vacation rentals.
What is different about an empty house
A home with people in it has someone to notice a drip, a tripped breaker or a door that blew open. A vacation home has nobody until the next check. That changes the prep: the goal is not just getting through the storm, it is making sure that whatever does go wrong cannot keep going wrong for days.
- Water: decide before the storm whether the main valve gets shut off. A broken line in an empty house can run until someone walks in
- Power: if power drops, an empty house in October heat climbs in humidity fast. Know who will check the AC once power is back
- Food: set the fridge and freezer to coldest, and decide whether to empty them now rather than find them later
- Access: whoever preps the house needs the key or code, the alarm code, the garage opener and the gate code
What to send whoever is prepping the house
One text with all of this saves a phone call in the middle of a storm watch.
- Address, gate code, door code or key location, alarm code
- Where the shutters, panels and hardware are stored
- What should come inside and what can be tied down
- Whether to shut off the water, and anything that must stay on (irrigation, pool, a well pump)
- Whether guests or renters are booked around the storm
- Who to call if something is damaged, and your preferred contractors
After the storm, from out of town
Once Walton County reopens the roads, the first useful thing is a walkthrough with photos: every side of the house, the roof line from the ground, every room, the AC, and any water inside. That tells you whether you need to fly in, call a contractor, or do nothing at all.
Coastal Home Management 30A sends those photos by email with a short written note, the same day the check happens. Repairs go to licensed contractors. The owner decides what happens next.
The owners who do not scramble
Owners on a year-round plan get a visit on a schedule all year, so the house is known before a storm ever shows up: where the panels are, which door sticks, which drain backs up. When a storm comes, there is nothing to arrange. On Coastal Elite, storm and freeze checks are included.
Put the house on the list.
Sign up once for Storm Check, or move to a plan and stop thinking about it.
Questions
Asked plainly.
Can I get my 30A vacation home prepped for a hurricane if I live out of state?
Yes. Coastal Home Management 30A preps second and vacation homes for owners who are somewhere else when a storm is coming. Everything is confirmed by text or email and the photos come to your inbox.
Should I leave the AC on in an empty vacation home during a hurricane?
Most owners leave it set where it normally sits for an empty house, around 78 to 80 degrees, so the home is not sitting humid if power holds. Unplug electronics, and have someone check that the system restarted once power returns.
Do you manage vacation rentals?
No. Coastal Home Management 30A does home watch and second home care for owners. If your home is a rental, your rental manager handles guests, and we can still prep and check the house for you.
How do I know my vacation home is okay after the storm?
Have someone local walk it inside and out once roads are open and send dated photos. Coastal Home Management 30A emails photos and a written note after every check.