Most of this has to be done before there is a storm to prepare for.
Once a system is named, two things stop. Carriers impose binding moratoriums, so nothing on the policy can change. And every contractor, hauler, and service company on the coast is committed within hours.
So the work divides into three parts: what to do in the off season, what to do when a name goes on a storm, and what to do afterward. Only the second one is urgent, and it only works if the first one was done.
Coverage structure is a separate subject, covered in what standard homeowners insurance misses for luxury homes. This page is the operational side.
Before June
Documentation
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Complete a video walkthrough of every room, opening drawers, cabinets, and closets, and store it somewhere that is not the house
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Update appraisals on art, jewelry, watches, and wine, and make sure the schedule reflects anything acquired since the last renewal
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Photograph the exterior from all four sides, including the roof if you can get a drone or a ladder to it
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Keep policy numbers, agent contacts, and claim lines somewhere reachable from a phone with no power at home
The building
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Service the generator under a contract rather than on a call basis, and test the transfer switch
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Confirm the propane tank or fuel supply is secured and adequate
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Check every opening for protection, including the garage door, which is the one most often left out
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Have trees trimmed and anything overhanging the roof removed
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Clear gutters, scuppers, and drains
The plan
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Convert your hurricane deductible to a dollar figure so you know what has to be available
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Establish who prepares the house if you are not in Florida, and confirm they have keys, codes, and gate access
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Line up a restoration company relationship before you need one rather than taking whoever knocks
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Decide in advance where art, wine, or vehicles would go, and confirm with us that coverage follows them
When a storm is named
Understand the clock. Nothing on the policy can be changed once binding restrictions are in place. If something needed adjusting, it needed adjusting in April.
The collections
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Move art off ground floors and away from exterior walls and windows
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Relocate anything genuinely valuable to professional storage if there is time, and confirm coverage applies off premises
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Wine cellars depend on power for temperature control — either put the cellar on the generator circuit or move the collection
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Photograph anything you move, where it went, and when
The building
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Close and secure all openings, including the garage
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Bring in outdoor furniture, umbrellas, planters, and anything on a dock or pool deck
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Park the elevator at the top floor and cut its power. The pit is below grade and floods first; an elevator left at the bottom is usually a total loss of the equipment
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Do not drain the pool. An empty pool can float out of the ground when the water table rises. Lower it a foot if anything, turn off the equipment, and secure the pump and heater
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Shut off gas at the tank or meter
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Elevate what you can in garages and ground-floor storage
The contents that leave
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Move vehicles, including collector cars, to higher ground — a garage is not protection from surge
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Boats and trailers have their own requirements, generally written into the marine policy as a condition rather than a suggestion
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Put documents, passports, and hard drives in a waterproof container, not just a safe
The people
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Release household staff early. Nobody should be at the property preparing it as conditions deteriorate
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Confirm who will be able to reach the house afterward, and how
After it passes
Do not start permanent repairs before the carrier has seen the loss. Stabilize, do not rebuild.
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Photograph everything before anything is moved or cleaned
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Tarp openings, extract standing water, get air moving — you are required to prevent further damage, and mold moves quickly in a Florida house
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Keep every receipt, including for temporary repairs, equipment rental, and lodging
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Report the claim promptly even if the damage looks minor, because Florida limits how long you have and storm damage frequently reveals itself later
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Be careful about contractors arriving unsolicited. Do not sign anything that assigns your claim rights, and call us before you sign anything at all
The part that is easy to forget
Everything on this page is about the house. The most common failure we see among owners of high-value property is that the preparation is handled and the documentation is not.
A claim after a major storm is a negotiation about what was there and what condition it was in. The owner who can produce a video walkthrough from April, current appraisals, and photographs of the exterior is in a completely different position from the owner describing it from memory in a rental house three counties away.
The walkthrough takes twenty minutes with a phone. It is the highest-return thing on this list.
Have the review done before the season, not during it
Atlantis Insurance works with homeowners across the Treasure Coast — Stuart, Palm City, Jensen Beach, Hutchinson Island, Hobe Sound, Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, and Vero Beach — along with Jupiter and Palm Beach County, and on Florida’s west coast in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Port Charlotte, and New Port Richey.
Once a storm is named our ability to help is limited to filing the claim. Before that, limits can change, deductible structures can change, and schedules can be updated. Send us the declarations page while the weather is quiet.
Waterfront owners should also read homeowners insurance for waterfront homes in Florida, which covers surge and the rules that govern rebuilding in a flood zone.
Atlantis Insurance Inc 850 NW Federal Highway, Suite 129 Stuart, FL 34994 561-983-4333
General information only, not legal advice. Policy conditions and carrier requirements vary; refer to your own policy for what it requires of you.
