Have You Really Prepared for This Year's Hurricane Season? 6 Critical Questions You Must Ask Yourself Now

Hurricane preparedness is crucial if you live in South Florida. It isn't just "something that could happen," it's a serious "what if…and when?" As we edge into this year's hurricane season, now is the moment to ask yourself: How prepared am I really? Here are six questions you should be able to answer clearly. And if you can't, it's time to act.

1. Do I have proper flood insurance (not just homeowners) in place, and does it cover my risk zone?

Many homeowners assume their standard homeowners' insurance will cover flood damage. It doesn't. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) states that flood insurance is the most powerful tool to recover financially from flooding.
Florida's insurance regulator highlights that many residential and commercial flood policies are handled through the NFIP or authorized insurers.
Question for you: If your home takes on water from a storm surge or heavy inland flooding this season, do you already have a policy that triggers? Or would you be scrambling at the last minute?

2. Am I aware of the waiting period (and exceptions) before flood insurance takes effect?

It’s not as simple as buying a policy today and being covered tomorrow. Florida's Division of Consumer Services outlines that there's normally a 30-day waiting period before a flood policy kicks in, except in certain cases (e.g., if required by a lender at the time of a loan closing). 
Challenge for you: What day would a policy you're considering become effective? Would that be before the next storm threat?

3. What are the financial consequences if I've skipped flood insurance or my coverage is insufficient?

Here's where things get real: FEMA assistance and grants are not meant to substitute for good insurance. The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and policy guides make clear that assistance from FEMA’s Individuals & Households Program (IHP) cannot make up for everything. Also, if you've received assistance but could have had insurance and didn't, you may face additional issues.
In plain terms: paying totally out of pocket or relying solely on federal aid is risky.
Reflect: If you faced roof damage plus flooding, how big would that cost be for your home (or office)? Could you absorb it without insurance? Would you want to?

4. Have a business (or office space) in South Florida? Are you aware of the disaster-loan options (and whether funding is still available)?

For small business owners, risk is double: you could have property damage and interruption of business if you don't have a hurricane preparedness plan. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan program allows for physical damage loans and economic injury loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses located in declared disaster areas. 
Key questions:

• Is your business structure eligible?
• Do you know what your "disaster declaration area" means (and if it applies to your ZIP)?
• Do you know whether funding lines are still open for this year in your county (South Florida)?
  (You’d likely need to check the SBA site or speak to a local disaster recovery center or professional like All Dry of Parkland)

For you to know: If your office floods or your roof gets ripped off, could your business payments keep going? Would a loan still be an option if you hadn't made preparations?

5. Does your plan include what happens after the immediate damage – mitigation, roof repairs, flood-proofing, drying out, and structural damage?

Damage isn't just storm + water: there's drying, mold risk, structural issues, elevation of components, and the cost of doing it right. The NFIP notes that flood insurance and disaster assistance are not mutually exclusive, but assistance is meant to supplement, not replace, insurance.
Ask yourself: If you had roof damage, flooding, or both, how would you handle the drying, repair, and mitigation part? Would it cost more than the initial damage?

6. How can a professional help you reduce the risk and costs? Is that partner already lined up for Hurricane Preparedness?

That's where All Dry of Parkland comes in. You don't have to navigate this solo. Here's how the team can assist with hurricane preparedness:

• Assess potential roof vulnerabilities and flood ingress points before the storm.
• Provide pre-storm hurricane preparedness planning, FEMA assistance, and documentation of conditions for insurance/disaster claims.
• After an event: rapid response drying, mitigation to prevent mold and escalating damage, help coordinating with insurance, and photo documentation. Guide small-business owners with the right order of operations (e.g., immediate board-up/cover, filing of claims, contacting SBA).

If you haven't found a professional yet, thinking about doing that now could save a lot of chaos later.

Final thoughts

This year's hurricane season has its usual uncertainties. What you can control is how prepared you are when it arrives. Skipping or delaying hurricane preparedness, such as flood coverage, not understanding your business risk, or underestimating the cost of repairs + mitigation puts you on shaky ground.

Your next step: Pick one of the six questions above that you couldn't answer with confidence and dive into it this week. Reach out to your insurance agent, your business adviser, and All Dry of Parkland, then get the right plan in place for optimal hurricane preparedness.

Because when the storm hits, there won't be a "good time" to start scrambling. It's better to be ready.