Everything you need to protect your home before, during, and after hurricane season. Free checklists, insurance guides, and emergency resources from Summit Restoration Group.
Atlantic Hurricane Season: June 1 – November 30. Is your property ready?
Check off each item as you complete it. Your progress is saved automatically.
Have Summit perform a free inspection to identify weak points before hurricane season begins.
Walk around your entire home and record the current condition of roof, siding, windows, and gutters.
Know your deductible, coverage limits, and what’s specifically excluded for wind and hail.
Blocked gutters during heavy rain can force water under your roofline causing significant interior damage.
Branches within 10 feet of your roof are a major source of storm damage. Remove them before season.
Unsecured items become projectiles in high winds. Store or anchor everything before a storm.
Windows are a primary vulnerability during hurricanes. Shutters or impact glass are the best protection.
Minimum 7-day supply of water (1 gallon/person/day), non-perishable food, flashlights, and first aid.
Check your local county’s evacuation zone map and have a plan for where you’ll go if ordered to evacuate.
Get email and SMS notifications when qualifying storms hit your property area.
Garage doors are the largest and most vulnerable opening. Verify yours is rated for hurricane-force winds.
Know where these are before an emergency. After a storm you may need to shut them off immediately.
Your roof is your home’s primary defense against hurricane damage. Here’s how to maximize its performance before storm season.
After a hurricane, DO NOT climb on your roof. Wet roofs are extremely slippery and may have structural damage not visible from below. Always let a professional assess the roof first. Summit offers emergency response 24/7 — call us before you go up there.
Being prepared before the storm is the single most important thing you can do to protect your insurance claim. Here’s your step-by-step guide.
Pull out your homeowner’s policy and review: your wind/hail deductible (often separate from your standard deductible), coverage limits for roof replacement, and any exclusions. Know what you’re covered for before you need it.
Walk through your entire home with a camera and record every room, every item of value, every appliance. Store this video in the cloud (Google Photos, iCloud) so you can access it after a storm even if your devices are damaged.
Date-stamped photos of your roof, gutters, siding, and windows in good condition are powerful evidence if you need to prove the storm — not pre-existing damage — caused the loss.
Before any cleanup or emergency repairs, photograph and video everything. This is critical. Do not let anyone pressure you to clean up before documentation is complete.
Report the damage to your insurance company within the timeframe required by your policy (usually 24–72 hours). But don’t let them rush you into a settlement before all damage is properly documented and scoped.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale classifies hurricanes 1–5 based on sustained wind speed. Here’s what each category means for your property.
74–95 mph
Some damage to roofing, gutters, siding. Well-built homes usually survive with minor damage.96–110 mph
Extensive damage to roofing, many trees downed, major power outages lasting weeks.111–129 mph
Devastating damage — many structures destroyed, significant roof failures, long displacement.130–156 mph
Catastrophic damage — most roofs fail, exterior walls collapse, long-term uninhabitability.157+ mph
Catastrophic — near total destruction of most buildings, power loss for months, area uninhabitable.Most insurers trigger the hurricane deductible when a named storm reaches Category 1 or above before or during impact. This means your higher hurricane deductible may apply even if your area is hit by a weaker outer band — not the eyewall. Always check your specific policy language.
📞 Questions? Call 888-602-8223Official government and emergency resources for hurricane preparedness and response.
Official storm tracks, forecasts, and warnings from NOAA’s NHC.
nhc.noaa.gov →FEMA’s official hurricane preparedness guide for homeowners.
ready.gov →Preparation, during-storm, and recovery guidance from American Red Cross.
redcross.org →Real-time weather alerts, watches, and warnings for your area.
weather.gov →Free email & SMS alerts when storms hit your property area.
Register free →Immediate emergency tarping and board-up response nationwide.
888-602-8223 →A pre-season inspection by Summit costs you nothing and ensures your roof is documented and ready. If a hurricane does hit, we respond 24/7 with emergency tarping, documentation, and full restoration.