Hurricane season · South Florida

Hurricane in Fort Lauderdale: Protect Your Home Before and After the Storm

Follow evacuation orders from local officials first. If you're staying, the steps below protect your home. If water gets in after the storm, the numbers on this page connect you with a local pro.

If water gets in? Fort Lauderdale water damage lineLoading the number…

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Downed power lines, a gas smell or fire? Stay away and call 911 first.

Alert windowNo active alert right nowHurricane season runs June through November. Do these steps when a storm is forecast.

Most at riskWindows and slidersRoof edgesGround-floor roomsGarages

Before the storm

Five steps before it hits

Tick them off as you go.

Photograph every room and the outsideFast proof of how things looked, for your insurance company.Bring in or tie down outdoor itemsPatio furniture, grills, pots and anything the wind can throw.Clear gutters and drainsSo rain runs away from the house instead of into it.Know your water and power shut-offsFind the main water valve and the breaker panel before the lights go out.Move valuables up and away from windowsPapers, electronics and keepsakes off the floor, in sealed bags.

The roof edge of a house with trees behind it

Wind-driven rain gets in around windows, sliders and roof edges first.

If water gets in

Two numbers to keep handy

Each number connects you with an independent local pro who handles that work in South Florida.

Standing water across a floor inside a home

Water damage

If water gets in

Once it's safe, stop the water you can, photograph it and call. Water keeps spreading inside walls and under floors.

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Mold

If it stays damp

Wet drywall and carpet that don't dry out fast can grow mold. Musty smell or spots? Call before it spreads.

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After the storm

When it passes, check these

Go room by room once officials say it's safe to be out.

Stay out of standing water

It can hide downed lines and debris. Turn off power to wet rooms only if the breaker is dry.

Photograph the damage first

Before you clean up or move anything. Then call your insurance company.

Look at ceilings and walls

Stains or bubbling paint mean water got in from the roof or around windows.

Dry things out quickly

Mold can start within a day or two in wet drywall, carpet and furniture.

Hurricane in Fort Lauderdale: Protect Your Home Before and After the Storm

Five steps before it hits

Two numbers to keep handy

If water gets in

If it stays damp

When it passes, check these

Stay out of standing water

Photograph the damage first

Look at ceilings and walls

Dry things out quickly

Be ready before the next one