Hurricane prep for your Orlando home: what to fix before a storm

Verified against NOAA, FDEM, DASMA, CPSC, and Orange County sources · Updated 2026-07-19

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and its statistical peak is September 10, with most activity between mid-August and mid-October (NOAA) — so mid-summer is not too late to prepare. This is the home-repair side of hurricane readiness: the fixes an Orlando homeowner can make before a storm, each linked to a source-verified DIYrr guide.

🌀 Start with the garage door — the documented weak point

In DASMA-compiled Florida media coverage, the garage door is described as "the structural component of a house most likely to fail during a hurricane" — and the bigger the door, the higher the wind pressure, making a double-car door more vulnerable than a single. DASMA's technical guidance (TDS #152):

Close it before high wind — an open garage door leaves interior walls, ceilings, and the roof structure vulnerable to structural damage and possible collapse; don't operate the door during the event.
Don't brace it with a vehicle — the door can be blown in or pulled out either way, and the vehicle can be damaged. The appropriate protection is a door that is wind resistant to local requirements.
No DIY reinforcement — added weight can cause failure or collapse of the supporting tracks; proper upgrades require matched springs, hardware, and track from a trained door technician.
Track and jamb attachment matter as much as the door — if in doubt, have a design professional evaluate both the door and the surrounding frame.
Springs are a hard stop — per Clopay: broken or improperly tensioned springs are not a DIY adjustment, and bottom brackets must never be removed while the door is under tension.

Replacing a garage door in Orange County requires a building permit. Garage door panel guide →

🪟 Windows and exterior doors

Replacing windows or exterior doors — even size-for-size — requires an Orange County permit, the application must include a completed Orange County Product Approval Specification Sheet, and the approved installation details must be on the jobsite at inspection or it fails. Sliding door guide →

🌧️ Gutters flowing before the wet season

Amerimax's install guide: slope gutters about 1 inch per 40 feet of run toward the downspout, hang one hanger every 24 inches, and finish the downspout with an elbow directing water away from the foundation. For reference, where expansive or collapsible soils are known to exist, FBC-Residential R801.3 requires discharging roof drainage at least 5 feet from foundation walls (or to an approved drainage system) — a good benchmark for keeping stormwater off any slab. Gutters guide →

🔔 Alarms before the power flickers

The U.S. Fire Administration: smoke alarms are replaced 10 years from the manufacture date, and tested monthly. Florida law (F.S. 553.883) provides that in one- and two-family dwellings undergoing a repair or level 1 alteration, a newly installed or replacement battery-powered smoke alarm must have a nonremovable, nonreplaceable battery that powers it for at least 10 years (hardwired, wirelessly interconnected, and combo smoke/CO units are handled differently). Smoke & CO detector guide →

⚡ Generator safety (this one kills people)

Outside only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust directed away from the home (CPSC). NEVER inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace, shed, or on a porch — even with doors and windows open. "Using a generator indoors CAN KILL YOU IN MINUTES"; CPSC counts more than 80 consumer deaths per year from portable-generator CO. If a generator is in your plan, install battery-operated CO alarms outside sleeping areas and on each floor, and test monthly.

🧰 The supply-kit basics (FDEM's official checklist)

Water: 1 gallon per person per day.
Nonperishable food for at least 7 days — plus a non-electric can opener.
A two-week minimum supply of medications and medical supplies.
Flashlights (FDEM: do not use candles), a battery or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio, and cash — banks and ATMs may not be available after a storm.
Pet food and water for at least 7 days; keep vehicle gas tanks filled.

🧹 Pre-season cleanup, safely

If pressure-washing the driveway or siding before the season: never from a ladder (the spray's kickback can cause a fall), never at electrical receptacles, switches, or anything on a circuit — fatal-shock risk — and treat any skin hit by the jet as a medical emergency, not a cut (SIMPSON manual). Pressure washing guide →

Orange County's Hurricane Safety Guide lists "Protect your home" and "Prepare a disaster supply kit" among its preparedness actions — county 311 Customer Service: 311 or (407) 836-3111; Office of Emergency Management: (407) 836-9140.

Frequently asked questions

Should I back my car against the garage door to brace it?

No. DASMA's guidance: the door can be blown into the garage or pulled out of the opening either way, and the vehicle can be damaged — the appropriate protection is a garage door that is wind resistant to local requirements. Also never add DIY weight or reinforcement: the added weight can cause failure or collapse of the supporting tracks.

Where can I run a generator after a storm?

Outside only, at least 20 feet from the house, with exhaust directed away from the home (CPSC). Never inside a home, garage, basement, crawlspace, shed, or on a porch — even with doors and windows open. Generator exhaust CO can kill in minutes; CPSC counts more than 80 deaths per year. Pair any generator plan with battery-operated CO alarms outside sleeping areas and on each floor.

When should I have all this done?

The season runs June 1 through November 30, but the statistical peak is September 10 with most activity between mid-August and mid-October (NOAA) — so mid-summer is not too late. The National Weather Service's guidance is to check emergency equipment — flashlights, generators, storm shutters — before you need it.

🌴 Also see the summer home-maintenance checklist →

Get a free step-by-step plan for any storm-prep repair →

DIYrr builds a personalized plan from a photo and description — tools, materials with local prices, and permit guidance. Free for homeowners, no account needed.

Sources

https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/climo/
https://www.weather.gov/safety/hurricane-plan
https://www.floridadisaster.org/globalassets/plan--prepare/2022-disaster-supply-kit-checklist---final-1.pdf
https://www.dasma.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/TDS152.pdf
https://www.dasma.com/florida-media-focus-on-garage-doors/
https://www.clopaydoor.com/residential/buyingguide/service-and-replacement
https://www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/468-WhattoKnowGenerators_2022.pdf
https://www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/home-fires/prepare-for-fire/smoke-alarms/
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0500-0599/0553/Sections/0553.883.html
https://pdf.lowes.com/productdocuments/b1166a23-0340-430a-a8c4-51fc3215e758/10050530.pdf
https://up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-residential-code-2023/chapter/8/roof-ceiling-construction
https://www.orangecountyfl.net/PermitsLicenses/DoINeedaPermit.aspx
https://www.orangecountyfl.net/emergencysafety/hurricanesafetyguide.aspx
https://simpsoncleaning.com/wp-content/uploads/7110453-3.pdf

This checklist covers home repairs and general readiness only — it is not evacuation or emergency-management guidance. Follow orders from Orange County Emergency Management and the National Weather Service, and use licensed professionals for electrical, gas, structural, and garage-door spring work.