Hurricane season in Florida runs from June 1 through November 30. The weeks before June arrive are the only window in which boards and property managers can act on building condition issues without weather pressure forcing the decision for them. A storm does not generate problems so much as it exposes the ones that were already present. Loose flashing becomes water intrusion. A worn parapet sealant becomes interior damage on the top floor. An overlooked drainage path becomes a flooded ground level. Preparation is the difference between a building that recovers and a building that files a multi-million dollar insurance claim.
This article outlines the readiness items condo and HOA boards in Florida should address now, before the season begins.
Building Envelope Condition
The envelope is the first and most important line of defense. Boards should walk the exterior with their property manager, or better, with a licensed engineer, to identify any items that should be addressed before June. Roof systems deserve close attention. Check for displaced or curling shingles, loose tile, corroded fasteners on metal roofs, and any flashing that has lifted at penetrations, parapets, or roof-to-wall transitions. Skylight gaskets and roof-mounted equipment curbs are common leak sources after a storm and are easy to inspect from the roof surface.
Windows and doors are the next priority. Verify that impact-rated assemblies still have intact weatherstripping and that operable hardware closes and latches fully. For buildings with hurricane shutters, the shutters should be deployed and inspected once before the season so that any binding, missing fasteners, or corroded tracks can be corrected in advance. A shutter that will not close at 7 p.m. the night before landfall is a building-wide problem.
Sealant joints around penetrations, expansion joints, and dissimilar materials should be reviewed for cracking, separation, or chalking. Aged sealants do not fail evenly. A 100-foot run of caulking may still look acceptable from a distance and have several open sections that allow wind-driven rain directly into the wall cavity.
Drainage and Site Conditions
Many of the most costly storm-related claims are not wind damage. They are water damage from blocked or undersized drainage. Walk the site and confirm that storm drains, scuppers, and downspouts are clear of debris. Roof drains and overflow scuppers should be tested with a hose to confirm flow. Verify that any pump systems serving below-grade garages or mechanical rooms are operational and that the backup power source has been tested within the last twelve months.
Trees and landscape elements should be inspected for any branches over roofs, balconies, or parked vehicles, and for any specimens that show signs of root failure or trunk decay. A pre-season tree assessment by a certified arborist is inexpensive insurance against the most preventable type of storm damage.
Documentation and Records
Insurance carriers and adjusters will ask for documentation that boards rarely think about until it is needed. Confirm now that your association has the following on file and accessible from off-site: current insurance certificates with policy limits and named insureds, the most recent milestone inspection report under Florida Statute 553.899, the most recent Structural Integrity Reserve Study, photographs of the building exterior taken within the last six months, recent roof and waterproofing maintenance records, and a unit count with current resident contact information.
If a major insurance claim is filed after a storm, the difference between a complete pre-loss record and a scattered one can amount to weeks of adjuster delay and substantial recovery dollars.
Resident Communication Plan
Boards should circulate a written hurricane preparedness notice to all residents before June 1. The notice should include the building's specific shutter or impact glass policy, balcony clearance requirements, vehicle relocation guidance, elevator shutdown procedures, and the contact path residents should use during and after a storm. Residents who are absent during the season should be reminded to designate a local contact and to confirm that interior items on balconies and screened porches will be secured.
For high-rise buildings, the communication plan should also address the period after the storm when elevators may be inoperable, water service may be interrupted, and access to the building may be restricted by local authorities.
Post-Storm Protocol
The first 72 hours after a named storm passes are critical for both safety and insurance recovery. Boards should know in advance who will perform the initial damage assessment, what authority that person has to authorize emergency repairs, and how repair vendors will be selected. A roofing or restoration contractor who arrives unannounced after a storm is not a contractor the association should engage on the spot. Pre-qualifying vendors before the season, and having signed master services agreements in place, prevents storm-chasers and inflated emergency pricing from controlling the recovery.
Document everything. Photograph all damage before any cleanup begins, including drone imagery of roofs when conditions permit. Preserve damaged materials when feasible until the insurance adjuster has been on site. Keep dated logs of vendor activity, mitigation steps, and resident communications.
A Final Word on Timing
Most of the items in this article take more time than a board expects. Coordinating a roof inspection, getting a sealant contractor scheduled, replacing a corroded shutter track, or updating a resident contact list all involve calendar lead time that compresses dramatically once the National Hurricane Center starts issuing tropical outlooks. The work is far easier in May than in late August.
Boards that treat the pre-season window as a fixed annual obligation, rather than an optional checklist, consistently report fewer post-storm losses and faster insurance recoveries. The buildings that fare best in hurricane season are not always the newest. They are the ones whose boards prepared deliberately and on time.
If your association would benefit from a pre-season building condition walk or a review of your envelope's storm readiness, our team is available to assist.
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