How to make sure your residents are ready for hurricane season

Hurricane season officially starts June 1st and goes through the end of November. In recent years we have seen devastating effects in the State of Florida from Hurricane Irma in 2017 to Hurricane Matthew in 2016. This force of nature is something that Property Managers need to prepare for. Here are our tips to prepare for Florida’s 2020 Hurricane Season:

1. Familiarize yourself with your properties and potential threats. For example, know the elevation level of your property along with how vulnerable it is to flooding.

2. Know what your property insurance covers – and what it does not. Make sure tenants are aware of this as well.

3. Educate your residents – make sure they are prepared and knowledgeable early to avoid unnecessary chaos, confusion, and scrambling.

4. Make sure you have a comprehensive hurricane preparedness plan completed well in advance (ideally not the week before the storm hits). This should include standard procedures for not just the hurricane, but also leading up to and following the event. Here are some things you need to make sure are covered:

   • What objects need to be removed/secured down (garbage cans, pool amenities, potted plants, etc.)

   • Make sure your files are properly backed up and stored.

   • What is your communication plan to all residents before, during, and after?

   • Have a plan in place for tenants/residents with special needs.

   • Have an alternative “command center” set up in the instance that yours does not have internet, power, or you are unable to reach it.

   • Be prepared dealing with smaller staff during this time, especially if an evacuation order is enacted.

   • Have an updated emergency contact list.

   • What will you do to protect your property and at what risk? For example, what would constitute you putting up shutters? 

Florida is no stranger to hurricanes. At Mosaic Property Services, we have experienced managing properties big and small through some of the worst hurricanes our state has seen. Give yourself the peace of mind and for more information on how Mosaic Property Services can keep your property safe, please contact us at info@mosaicpropertymgmt.com or (352) 414-5339.