Tampa Bay Hurricane Prep Checklist (2026 Season)
A Tampa Bay-specific hurricane preparation checklist. Built for Hillsborough and Pinellas county homeowners by 911 Restoration of Tampa Bay. Updated annually for the current Atlantic season. For local help, see hurricane and storm restoration.
Why Tampa Bay needs its own checklist: Generic FEMA hurricane prep guides do not address Tampa Bay’s specific storm-surge zones, septic-system risks, or the way our drainage works. This checklist is built from 1,000+ post-storm restorations across Tampa, Brandon, Clearwater, St. Pete, and Pinellas Park.
May 30 days before season
- Inspect your roof. Walk the perimeter, photograph every shingle row. Loose or curled shingles are an entry point for sideways rain. Tampa Bay homes lose 30% of their hurricane insurance subrogation rights when roof age cannot be documented.
- Clean gutters and downspouts. Pollen, oak debris, and pine needles built up over March-April. Clogged gutters drive water into eaves and walls during sustained 8+ hour rain events.
- Test the sump pump and any French drains. Most Tampa Bay homes do not have basement sump pumps, but homes south of Brandon (Riverview, Apollo Beach, Sun City Center) often have low-point French drains. Run them with the hose for 10 minutes.
- Photograph every room (insurance baseline). Wide shots of every room, close-ups of expensive items, serial-number plates on appliances. Save to cloud storage outside the home.
- Refill prescriptions to a 30-day supply. Tampa Bay pharmacies close during direct-hit storms. Walgreens and CVS chains will fill emergency early-refills with documentation of evacuation orders.
June Season opens
- Trim trees within 15 feet of the home. Tampa Bay live oaks, laurel oaks, and pines are the three species most likely to hit a roof in a 75-mph storm. Remove dead branches now while arborist crews have capacity.
- Test generator (if you own one). Run for 30 minutes under load. Replace oil, change air filter. Generators that sit dormant from Nov through May fail at 40% rate.
- Stock the hurricane go-bag. Tampa Bay-specific items: water for 7 days (not 3, evacuation orders run longer here), insurance documentation in a waterproof folder, a paper Hillsborough County evacuation map, your homeowner’s policy printed.
- Identify your evacuation zone. Hillsborough and Pinellas counties update zones every 2-3 years. Look up your address at Hillsborough Evacuation Map or Pinellas Evacuation Zones.
July–August Watch period
- When a storm enters the Caribbean, top off fuel and cash. Tampa Bay gas stations run dry within 36 hours of a Category-3+ track. ATMs run dry within 48 hours. Both restock 3-7 days post-storm.
- If you are in Zone A or B, plan your evacuation route 72 hours out. The contraflow plan on I-75 and I-4 takes 4-6 hours to implement. Leaving 48 hours before landfall avoids most of the contraflow.
- Photograph the home interior and exterior again. Replace the May baseline with current photos, especially any new improvements (new floors, new cabinets, etc.).
September Peak
- 72 hours before landfall: Move outdoor furniture inside. Bring in pots, garden statues, anything that becomes a projectile at 100 mph.
- 48 hours before: Charge all power banks. Fill bathtubs (toilet flushing, not drinking). Make ice in every available tray.
- 24 hours before: Turn the refrigerator and freezer to coldest setting. Eat perishables. Move valuables to second floor or top shelves.
- 12 hours before: Last walk-through with phone camera, every room. This is the photo set you submit to insurance.
- 6 hours before: Park cars in highest covered location available. Turn off main breakers if evacuating to prevent electrical fires from surge restoration.
October–November Late-season + recovery
- If your home flooded, do not enter alone. Standing water + electrical = fatal. Wait for utility shutoff confirmation. Photograph every step of entry.
- Mitigation must start within 14 days for full insurance coverage. Florida regulation. Call 911 Restoration of Tampa Bay at (813) 261-1525 within 24 hours of being able to access the property.
- Never sign an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) form before reading it twice. AOB scams are rampant in Tampa Bay post-storm. A reputable restoration company will work directly with your carrier on a standard service agreement, not an AOB.
Tampa Bay-specific risks most checklists miss
| Risk | Where in Tampa Bay | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Storm-surge sewage backup | Apollo Beach, South Tampa, Davis Islands, parts of St. Pete | Install a backflow preventer if not present. Move toilet paper rolls to second floor pre-storm. |
| Septic-system overflow | Plant City, Wimauma, Lutz, parts of New Tampa | Pump septic 60 days before peak season. Avoid laundry/showers during the storm itself. |
| Sliding-glass door failure | Coastal homes (Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach, Treasure Island, Tierra Verde) | Install impact-rated glass or plywood storm shutters. Standard-glass sliders fail at 90 mph. |
| Garage door failure | Older 1980s-90s ranches in Brandon, Riverview, Town N Country | Install a vertical-strut bracing kit ($150-300). Garage door failure is the #1 home-loss vector in 100-mph winds. |
| HVAC outdoor unit damage | Pretty much everyone | Strap the condenser to the slab if not already. Cover with a hurricane condenser cover, not a tarp (tarps catch wind). |
If your home is damaged
911 Restoration of Tampa Bay operates 24/7/365 with a 45-minute emergency response promise. We handle water extraction, structural drying, mold prevention, and full reconstruction with documented insurance work. We are IICRC-certified, Florida Mold Remediator licensed, and insurance-preferred with all major Tampa Bay carriers.
Call (813) 261-1525 the moment you can safely access your property. Every hour you wait compounds the damage.
Print and share
This checklist is free to print, share, and post on community boards. Tampa Bay HOAs and neighborhood Facebook groups are welcome to reproduce it with attribution. The downloadable PDF version (12 pages, season-formatted) is available below. See storm damage repair Tampa.