Protect windows, doors, the garage, the pool, and the yard

Windows and doors

FDEM says the most important precaution for reducing damage is to protect the places wind can enter: roof, straps, windows, doors, and garage doors. The same page says windows, doors, and garage doors should be impact resistant or have a protective covering — rated hurricane shutters, or properly secured 5/8-inch plywood — secured to the opening.

It also says to contact the local building code official about what a home improvement requires. Do that before you drill. A sheet of plywood that is not fastened the way your city expects is not the covering FDEM describes. Ready.gov puts it more shortly: clear drains and gutters, bring in outside furniture, and consider hurricane shutters.

Pinellas County's Secure Your Home page says to shutter windows and doors, lower or remove awnings, and shut doors. None of this is a guarantee the house will be spared. It is the work those agencies publish.

The garage door

The state hurricane guide says more than 90 percent of damage to homes during hurricanes begins when garage doors fail, because the door is typically the largest and weakest opening. It says wind-rated doors are good and impact-rated doors are better, that a rating is usually a sticker listing pounds per square foot, and that if there is no sticker you ask the builder or manufacturer.

On a door you already have, that guide says to check that mounting screws are tight and the track is not loose, to replace rusted pins or worn rollers, and to consider a bracing kit if the door is weak. Pinellas says to reinforce the door with a brace kit or long steel or aluminum bars, and to lock it. Hillsborough County says to cover garage windows the way you cover the house, and to pull vehicles farther inside so a door pushed inward is less likely to reach them.

Electric vehicles are a separate Hillsborough note on that same page. If you evacuate and flooding is expected, the county says not to leave an EV in the garage, to park it in an elevated spot, to leave the battery at only a 30 percent charge, to park it 50 feet from structures and other vehicles, and not to leave it plugged in. Read that page before you treat every car the same.

Pool and yard

Pinellas County says high winds can turn even heavy objects into projectiles that break windows, doors, and walls. Before storms threaten: prune trees and shrubs and do not leave piles of branches, keep gutters and downspouts clear, and consider replacing rock mulch with shredded bark. When a hurricane warning is issued, bring in furniture, toys, bird baths, and grills.

On the pool, Pinellas says do not drain it. Super-chlorinate the water and turn off electricity to the pool for the storm. The county's Secure Your Home list adds: take yard items inside, clear balconies, steps, and porches, pick up loose debris, and clear nearby storm drains if you can. The state guide says if you can pick it up, put it up, and to hire someone when the job needs a chainsaw or equipment you do not know.