Hurricane season in Florida officially starts June 1, and honestly, June is the calm and easy time to get ready. Nothing’s spinning in the Atlantic yet, the stores aren’t packed, and you can take care of things at your own pace.
At the start of the season
- Look up your evacuation zone on Palm Beach County’s map so you’re not guessing later.
- Think through where you’d go if you needed to leave, whether that’s family inland or a hotel.
- Take a slow video walk through your home, room by room. It’s a small job now and a big help if you ever need to file a claim.
- Check your shutters or panels so you know everything is there and fits.
- Pick up supplies early, before stores get busy. Florida has made many common storm supplies tax-free, which is a nice bonus.
- Sit down with your policy and someone you trust, looking at the hurricane deductible and whether you have flood coverage, since flood is usually a separate policy.
If you live on the barrier island, the city has urged residents there to evacuate during strong storms. Part of the reason is that tall buildings can lose elevators, lights and water when the power goes out, even if the building itself comes through fine.
When a storm is heading your way
- Bring in patio furniture, planters and anything else that could blow around.
- Put shutters up a little earlier than feels necessary.
- Refill prescriptions and grab some cash in case the power is out for a while.
- Fill up the car.
- If you use a generator, keep it outside and well away from windows and doors.
If you also run a business in Boca
A lot of the same prep applies to a shop, office or restaurant. The questions just get a little bigger. How long could you stay closed after a storm, and how would payroll feel during that stretch? That’s often where a conversation about business owner coverage and business interruption begins.
It’s also a good moment to update emergency contacts for your team and decide who checks on the building after a storm passes. Having those names written down ahead of time takes a lot of pressure off. Owners with a kitchen or a cooler full of product often want to talk about spoiled inventory too, since a long outage can add up quickly.
Most of this takes an afternoon in June. In September it can take a week.