It’s never too early to prepare for hurricanes. The storm season begins in June, so consider prepping your property for hurricane season now. Use these tips to make cost-effective decisions that create lasting protection against any potential hurricanes that lash at Florida’s coastline.

1. Trim Your Landscaping

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2021 hurricanes like Fred, Elsa and Ida each cost over $1 billion in damages, and they all made landfall in Florida first. You can prevent your home from becoming a significant part of this year’s storm damage by working on your landscaping early.

Remove broken branches in your trees and uproot dead plants around your home. Strong winds will easily dislodge both and make them potential airborne threats. You can also cut down any leaning trees near your house so there’s less chance of trees crashing through your roof.

2. Add Deadbolt Locks

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Intense winds driven by hurricanes just off the ocean can rip doors from their hinges. Although you can’t control the storm’s intensity, you can give your home a better chance at retaining the doors keeping your family safe by installing deadbolt locks.

They only cost a few dollars and take moments to install. The deadbolts are thicker than hinges and go deeper into door frames. They provide robust protection against high winds, which might give your family the peace of mind to sleep while storms rage outside.

3. Upgrade Older Building Materials

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Unless you’re the first owner of your house, it likely contains outdated building materials that could crumble under hurricane conditions. External features aren’t the only household features that could fall apart, either. Internal materials like exposed concrete walls might be susceptible to water and wind.

Upgrading the older materials could be in your best interest to keep your home standing for decades to come. Newer concrete with a lower water-to-concrete ratio would withstand household flooding longer and minimize mold growth that could compromise your family’s health. By prepping for hurricane season with quick upgrades, your house could become a stronger, healthier place to live.

4. Plan for Power Outages

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Your home will likely lose power during or after a hurricane this year. Power lines will always be vulnerable to winds, floods and falling trees. Prepare to keep your loved ones comfortable with smart decisions like applying reflective window tinting to glass panes in every room.

The tint reflects sunlight and heat, which will improve your home’s energy efficiency when the power comes back on and keep you cool in the meantime. Other efforts like stocking up on water bottles to stay hydrated and charging external batteries with outlets to portable power fans will make a positive difference when the next hurricane arrives.

5.  Take a Property Inventory

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Homeowners should take a pre-hurricane property inventory of their external and internal belongings. You can do this with varying techniques, such as:

• Taking panoramic photos of your home’s exterior and each interior room.

• Starting a spreadsheet of your most valuable belongings with their quantity, size and estimated value.

• Listing add-on features you recently invested in, like solar panels, a pool or a new shed.

If your home gets damaged, you can refer to your inventory list to remind your flood or windstorm insurance provider what you had. You’ll get more accurate coverage because you have updated, detailed information to provide.

6. Install Storm Shutters

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If your home doesn’t already have storm shutters, they’re worth investing in this year. How much you’ll pay depends on how many windows your home has. You could also install them on the ground floor to protect against floods and install them on the second floor when your budget allows.

The average homeowner pays $1,528–$5,911 for storm shutters, but completing your project in segments could make it more budget-friendly. Every set of shutters upgrades your home’s protection, so your property will be better off even if you make small steps toward progress.

Prepare for Hurricane Season

The weather creates perfect conditions for hurricanes for six months every year. Prepare your property for hurricane season by taking action now. Simple things like yard work, starting an inventory spreadsheet and installing deadbolts are easy steps anyone can take to protect their household.