Florida Hurricane Season Prep: 2026 Insurance Checklist

Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and the 2026 outlook leans below average. Colorado State University’s preseason forecast calls for 13 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 majors. NOAA issues its own outlook on May 21. The reason for the softer numbers is an El Niño pattern that NOAA gives better than 60% odds of developing this summer, which tends to suppress Atlantic activity through stronger upper-level wind shear.

Lower numbers do not mean lower risk for any individual home. Florida only needs one storm in the wrong place. The work to protect yourself is the same in a quiet year as in an active one. This is the pre-season checklist we run with our clients every May.

1. Read Your Homeowners Policy Before June 1

Pull your declarations page out and look at four things specifically. These are the line items that decide how much money you will see if a storm hits your house.

Dwelling coverage (Coverage A)

This is the limit your insurer will pay to rebuild the structure. Florida construction costs have moved up sharply over the last several years. A policy renewed at the same Coverage A every year is probably underinsured. Ask your agent for an updated replacement cost estimate, not the market value or tax-assessed value.

Hurricane deductible (percentage, not flat dollar)

Florida Statute § 627.701 requires insurers to offer hurricane deductibles of 2%, 5%, or 10% of Coverage A. On a $400,000 home, a 5% deductible is $20,000 out of pocket before the carrier pays anything. The hurricane deductible is triggered when the National Hurricane Center issues a watch or warning for any part of Florida (Florida Statute § 627.4025), and it runs until 72 hours after the last watch or warning is lifted. The deductible applies once per calendar year, even if more than one storm hits.

Roof, ordinance or law, and loss of use

Roof deductibles are now common on Florida policies; some are flat dollar, others a percentage. Ordinance or law coverage pays the cost of bringing your home up to current code during repairs, which matters because Florida’s building code keeps tightening. Loss of use covers hotels, meals, and rental housing while your home is uninhabitable. A typical limit is 10% to 20% of Coverage A. If yours is at the low end, ask what it costs to raise it.

Carrier financial strength

Florida has seen 17 insurer insolvencies between 2017 and 2025. Before season starts, check your carrier’s AM Best or Demotech rating. If your carrier is rated below A- (AM Best) or A (Demotech), ask an independent agent what alternatives exist in your area.

2. Confirm You Have Flood Insurance

Your homeowners policy does not cover flood. Storm surge, rising water, and rain backup from overwhelmed drainage all fall under flood, and they are excluded from every standard Florida HO-3. According to FEMA, more than 40% of flood claims come from properties outside high-risk flood zones.

NFIP coverage caps at $250,000 dwelling and $100,000 contents. Private flood policies typically offer higher limits, replacement cost on contents (NFIP only pays actual cash value on contents), and loss of use coverage that NFIP does not include. Florida’s SB 2A requires flood insurance for homes in Special Flood Hazard Areas insured through Citizens Property Insurance.

3. Use the My Safe Florida Home Program

The state runs a free wind-mitigation inspection program plus a matching grant for approved improvements. The Florida Legislature allocated $280 million for fiscal year 2025–2026, and the governor’s proposed 2026–2027 budget would push that figure past $600 million to clear the backlog of homeowners waiting on grant funding.

Eligibility requires that the original building permit was filed before January 1, 2008, and that the home’s insured value is $700,000 or less. Approved improvements include impact-rated windows and doors, garage-door reinforcement, roof-to-wall connection upgrades, and secondary water barriers.

The mitigation work pays off twice. First, the home holds together better in a storm. Second, Florida law requires insurers to give premium credits for verified wind-resistant features, and those credits frequently run into the hundreds or low thousands of dollars per year. Apply at MySafeFLHome.com.

4. Document the House

After a hurricane, the burden is on you to prove what you had. Adjusters work from photos, receipts, and inventories. The time to build that record is now, while everything is intact and dry.

• check_circleWalk through every room with your phone in video mode. Open closets, drawers, and cabinets. Narrate as you go.
• check_circlePhotograph every exterior elevation, the roof from ground level, and any outbuildings, fences, and pool equipment.
• check_circlePull serial numbers off appliances, electronics, and tools. Save the file to cloud storage so it survives the house.
• check_circleKeep receipts for big-ticket items (furniture, appliances, electronics, jewelry) in the same cloud folder.
• check_circleScan or photograph your declarations page, your insurance ID cards, and your agent’s contact info into the same folder.

5. The 30-Day Pre-Storm Checklist

These tasks should be done at least once before June 1 every year. They are the difference between a manageable storm and an avoidable disaster.

• check_circleHave the roof inspected if it is over 15 years old. Insurers are aggressive about non-renewing aged roofs after a claim.
• check_circleTrim trees back from the house. Branches over the roof are the most common source of preventable damage.
• check_circleClear gutters and downspouts so rain has somewhere to go.
• check_circleTest your generator. Run it under load for 30 minutes.
• check_circleRefill the hurricane kit: water (one gallon per person per day for seven days), non-perishable food, batteries, first-aid supplies, prescriptions, cash in small bills.
• check_circleConfirm your hurricane shutters or panels still fit. Anchors corrode, and panels go missing in garages.
• check_circleBuild a dedicated deductible fund. If your hurricane deductible is $15,000, that money needs to be liquid before the storm, not after.

6. The 72-Hour Approach Checklist

Once a named storm has Florida in the forecast cone, switch from planning to execution.

• check_circleInstall shutters or panels. Plywood last, only if nothing else is available.
• check_circleMove outdoor furniture, grills, pool equipment, and trash bins indoors or anchor them.
• check_circleCharge phones, laptops, and power banks. Fill vehicles and gas cans.
• check_circlePhotograph the property one more time, immediately before the storm. This is your baseline for any later claim.
• check_circleMove valuables, important documents, and photo albums to the highest interior closet (away from windows and roof leaks).
• check_circleTurn refrigerators and freezers to coldest setting. Fill empty freezer space with bagged water.
• check_circleDecide on evacuation before the order. If you are in a mandatory zone, leave when the order is issued; the roads only get worse.

7. After the Storm: File the Claim Correctly

Florida Statute § 627.70131 sets a clear timeline for how insurers must handle claims, and following the right sequence on your side keeps that timeline working in your favor.

• check_circleProtect the property from further damage. Tarp the roof, board broken windows, mitigate water. The cost of reasonable mitigation is typically reimbursable. Keep every receipt.
• check_circleDocument the damage before you clean up. Photograph and video everything, including interior, exterior, and contents.
• check_circleNotify your carrier as soon as you can reach them. The insurer must acknowledge your communication within 7 calendar days.
• check_circleDo not throw out damaged items until the adjuster has seen them or you have a written waiver.
• check_circleKeep a claim journal: every call, the name of the rep, the date, the substance of the conversation, and any reference numbers.
• check_circleTrack every emergency expense (hotels, meals, rental, mitigation). Loss-of-use claims live or die on receipts.

Note the filing deadlines under Florida Statute § 627.70132. You have 1 year from the date the hurricane made landfall to report a new claim, and 18 months to report a supplemental claim. These are the deadlines that were shortened in the 2022 reform package, so older guidance you might find online (2 years and 3 years) is no longer accurate.

8. Coverage Beyond the House

A hurricane plan that only thinks about the dwelling misses several common loss categories. Run through the rest of your policies the same way.

Auto

Comprehensive coverage (not just liability) is what pays for hurricane damage to a vehicle: flood, falling trees, flying debris. If you carry liability only, your car is on you. Florida’s PIP repeal takes effect July 1, 2026; make sure your policy is updated to the new $25,000/$50,000 bodily injury liability minimums before the season opens.

Boat

Most boat policies require a written hurricane plan and may have specific haul-out requirements for named storms. Check your policy now, not when the cone shows up.

Business

Business owner’s policies (BOPs) typically include business income coverage that pays you while operations are interrupted. Confirm the waiting period (often 72 hours) and the limit. If your business depends on suppliers or customers in the path of a storm, ask about contingent business income coverage.

Renters

Your landlord’s policy covers the building. Your stuff is on you. A renters policy in Florida typically runs $15 to $25 a month and includes loss-of-use coverage if the rental becomes uninhabitable. Flood is a separate policy for renters too.

The Bottom Line

Hurricane prep is one of the few areas of insurance where the work you do in May genuinely changes the outcome in September. Read your policy. Lock in the wind-mitigation discounts. Confirm your flood coverage clears the 30-day window. Document the house. Build the deductible fund. The forecasts may suggest a quieter 2026 season, but the only forecast that matters for your home is the cone that lands on your zip code. Be ready for that one.