Before the Storm: A Homeowner’s Guide to Hurricane Readiness 

Sunday, June 1, officially kicked off hurricane season, but it’s not too late to prepare for the storms ahead whether you live on the coast or inland. Hurricanes often bring battering winds and flood waters that can devastate communities, but homeowners are not powerless. What you do before a storm arrives can go a long way in protecting your property. 

Why Hurricane Preparation Matters 

With over $9 trillion of insured property along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, American home and business owners face significant risk from hurricane-force winds. As we saw during the 2024 hurricane season, severe storm damage can stretch far beyond our coastal areas. Hurricane Helene, which brought tropical storm force winds as far north as Atlanta and spurred devastating floods in the Appalachians, became the deadliest hurricane to hit the U.S. since Katrina in 2005. More than 250 people died as a result of the storm, including 65 deaths directly caused by the hurricane’s intense winds, the most from a U.S. hurricane since 1963.  

Last season also ranked third in tropical cyclone-induced tornadoes over the past 30 years, further highlighting the threat hurricanes can pose even to areas further from the coast. When high winds and heavy rain from these storms strike unprepared homes, even minor damage can quickly escalate, resulting in costly repairs and displacing families. 

What Are the Vulnerable Areas of Your Home? 

Making your home Hurricane Ready starts with identifying its most at-risk areas. Hurricanes take advantage of vulnerabilities in a home’s structure, and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) has detailed science-backed ways to strengthen these areas: 

1. Roof

• • Your roof is your home’s first line of defense against severe weather, but if it fails, it can start a cascade of loss, including water intrusion and major structural damage. Insurance claims data reveals up to 90% of hurricane-related claims include roof-related damage.
  • One option is to upgrade to a FORTIFIED Roof, a voluntary re-roofing standard based on decades of IBHS research. FORTIFIED is scientifically designed to prevent damage that commonly occurs during high wind events, like hurricanes, severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes.

A recent report by the Center for Risk and Insurance Research at the University of Alabama, which reviewed the performance of over 40,000 homes threatened by Hurricane Sally (2020), showed: 

• If all houses had been built to the FORTIFIED Roof standard, homeowners would have saved $42 million. 
• FORTIFIED homes were 70% less likely to have an insurance claim than a home built to typical construction standards.  

Why It Matters: Enhanced resilience ensures lower costs, faster recovery and less disruption, making FORTIFIED homes a reliable choice in hurricane-prone areas. 

2. Garage Door

• • A compromised garage door is a disaster waiting to happen. High winds can push a garage door inward, allowing pressure to build inside your home – pushing up on the roof and out on the surrounding walls – often resulting in significant structural damage.
  • IBHS recommends installing a wind-rated garage door that has been tested to show it can withstand the severe wind conditions common to the home’s location.

3. Windows

• Broken windows allow wind and rain into the home, creating a cascade of damage from both water entry and internal pressures that push up and out on the roof and walls. 
• Installing impact-resistant windows or hurricane shutters helps keep flying debris out, maintaining the home’s structural integrity.

Don’t Forget Budget-Friendly Tasks 

While re-roofing or installing a wind-rated garage door are the two most significant ways to improve your home’s resilience, they are big projects that require an investment. IBHS has also identified affordable ways to improve a property’s readiness – many of which homeowners can do themselves or with a little help:  

• Seal gaps around doors and windows with caulk or weatherstripping. 
• Have a trusted contractor inspect your roof for signs of wear or damage. 
• Trim trees and remove yard debris that could become projectiles. 
• Clean gutters to ensure proper water drainage and prevent flooding. 

Don’t wait for the next forecast to start preparing for hurricane season. Visit hurricane-ready.org for a comprehensive checklist on how to protect your home and family. 

Read more of our tips and ideas in the Homeowner Resources section.