How do I get my home ready for hurricanes?

Windows and doors should be impact-resistant or have a protective covering, such as rated hurricane shutters or properly secured 5/8-inch plywood. Flood damage is usually not covered by a homeowners policy.

Florida law requires home insurers to give actuarially reasonable discounts or credits for features that cut wind losses, and to tell policyholders what discounts are available and their range; a wind mitigation inspection on the state's uniform form shows which features a home has.

My Safe Florida Home, the state program, can pay part of the cost. For a site-built, owner-occupied homestead insured for $700,000 or less and built before January 1, 2008, the state puts up $2 for each $1 from the owner, up to $10,000, toward doors, garage doors, windows, roof-to-wall connections, the roof deck, a secondary water barrier and, since a 2026 law, roof covering replacement; that law also opened the program to attached homes up to three stories. Low-income owners pay no match, and low-income owners 60 and older are served first. Grants depend on what the Legislature provides each year, and a home can get the inspection without qualifying for a grant. Since 2024 a homeowners association may not deny shutters, impact windows, reinforced garage doors or a generator that meet the board's specifications.

A generator keeps the power on, but run it only outdoors, far from windows, doors and vents, never in a garage or other enclosed space; put battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors in the home; store fuel safely; and let the generator cool at least 20 minutes before refueling.

Where to go from here.