Will Your Home Be Safe in a Hurricane? Here's How to Protect It

CNET

6 hours ago

The 2025 Atlantic hurricane season was one of the slowest to start in recent years, but it's gotten dangerous very quickly.
Hurricane Erin intensified rapidly over the past week and is now hitting the coast of Virginia and North Carolina. The storm quickly advanced from a Category 1 hurricane (winds at 74-95 mph) to Category 5 (winds above 157 mph) in less than 24 hours over this past weekend.
While the massive storm is not predicted to hit land, it is expected to result in coastal flooding and very strong winds, especially near beaches.
Hurricane season starts in the spring, but September and October are the most likely months for hurricanes, according to Ready.gov:
Eastern Pacific: May 15 to Nov. 30
Atlantic: June 1 to Nov. 30
Central Pacific: June 1 to Nov. 30
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted a 60% chance of an "above normal" hurricane season in 2025.
NOAA
If you live near the Atlantic coast or are just concerned about hurricane weather and your house, we've rounded up a few steps you can take to prepare for extreme weather to help protect your family and home.
For more disaster preparedness tips, check out our guide on how to prep for hurricanes, wildfires, storms and other natural disasters, 11 things to do to prepare for a blackout and how to save the food in your fridge if the power goes out.
Create an emergency plan
One of the most important steps to preparing for hurricane season is creating your family's emergency plan, including your evacuation route.
First, know ahead of time how your family will communicate during a hurricane and how you'll receive emergency alerts. Know where you'll shelter in place but also the evacuation route you'll take, if necessary.
Your plan should also include any special measures necessary to care for children, pets or family members with mobility issues. Additionally, make a plan for any household members who require special medication or medical equipment.
Before hurricane season, make sure everyone in the family understands the plan, including children.
Secure your home
As hurricane season approaches, take steps to secure your property against potential hurricanes and high winds. A few steps you can take include:
Trim trees to remove weak branches
Install hurricane-proof doors
Install storm shutters to windows
Replace exterior glass with tempered glass
Have a plan for outdoor furniture, potted plants and toys
Prepare an emergency kit
The last thing you want to do when a hurricane is approaching is rush around to find everything you may need for the coming days. Instead, have an emergency kit or go bag on hand that you can turn to. Your emergency kit can include:
Nonperishable food
Bottled water
Flashlights
Extra batteries
Portable radio
First-aid supplies
Prescription medication
Pet food
Cash
Blankets
Phone chargers
Basic hygiene items
Check your insurance policies
Before hurricane season each year is a good time to double-check your insurance policies and make sure you're fully covered in case there's an incident.
First, you should ensure that your current coverage is enough to rebuild your home and replace all of your personal property in the event of a personal loss. You should also make sure you have the types of coverage specifically needed for hurricanes: flood insurance and windstorm insurance.
If you live in an area prone to hurricanes, make sure you have the necessary coverage. Understand your deductible and keep enough in a savings account to cover it in case there's a loss.
Keep an inventory of your belongings
If you live in an area prone to hurricanes and are at risk of your home being damaged, be sure to keep a running inventory of your personal property.
If there's a storm and you have to file a homeowners insurance claim, you'll have to provide an inventory of items that were destroyed. The quicker you can provide this information to the insurance company, the quicker it can settle your claim and you can start to recover.
To create your inventory, simply go room by room and add each item to a spreadsheet. Include the value of each item in case you have to file a claim. For valuable items, you can also include photos or purchase receipts.
Be sure to store your inventory digitally -- there are apps that will help you do this. You should also update it each year before hurricane season.
Keep important documents somewhere safe
If you're storing important documents in your home in paper form, it's time to find a new strategy. First, make sure that every important document is in a waterproof and fireproof safe in your home.
Next, make sure that each document has a digital copy so that if your home is destroyed and your safe can't be recovered, you still have copies of everything. (We've also got advice on how to recover important documents after a natural disaster).
Important documents to keep safe include:
Birth certificates
Marriage certificates
Social Security cards
Military service records
Insurance policies
Tax statements
Health records
Financial records
Keep a hurricane checklist on hand
When a hurricane hits, the fear and adrenaline can make it easy to forget what steps to follow. Before hurricane season arrives, make a checklist of exactly what you'll do and what you'll pack if a hurricane hits. That way, if there is a storm, you can refer to your list rather than trying to remember every important step yourself.
Be safe with generators and fuels
Generators and heaters can be lifesavers when a storm knocks the power out, but they can also be deadly if not used carefully. Make sure you're using any device that burns fuels properly: Don't use a portable generator, grill or camp stove inside. The fumes and carbon monoxide can be deadly. Operate grills, camp stoves and portable generators outside and at least 20 feet away from a building opening like a door or window.
One alternative to a fuel-powered generator is a portable power station, which can be recharged with portable solar panels.