Hurricane season begins each June, which puts Floridians nearly three months into the season. And already we’ve had a few close calls, with more storms on the way. That’s why this is a good time to offer advice on how you can make sure your HOA is ready for hurricane season and the damages your buildings may experience. If you’ve already taken these steps – good job! But if not, get on them now and make them a part of your annual process.
Prepare through prevention
One set of preparations is about minimizing any potential damage. Steps you can take include:
- Remove tree limbs that look like they might cause damage to the property.
- Mitigate potential damage by taking all necessary precautions, including shuttering windows, and securing loose outdoor furniture, potted plants, and trash cans.
- Take video and pictures of your property so you can show your insurance company its condition before the storm.
- Back up your insurance records, as well as all your HOA documents and financials.
- Make sure your HOA constitution is in compliance with state and local laws. You will likely need to work with an HOA attorney who can provide accurate and thorough legal counsel.
- Keep residents updated on the storm’s latest tracking. Encourage them to take all precautions necessary to ensure they have enough food, water, and prescriptions to last through a days-long power outage or flooding.
- Know where your local evacuation shelter is and share that with your residents.
If the storm hits your property
This leads to the next set of preparations: Being ready to take action in the event of flood damage. Here are a few things you can do in the event of damage:
- Contact association members to make sure they are ok and let them know of the current situation.
- Take pictures of your property after the event for insurance purposes. This will help the claims specialist with correctly assessing the damage.
- Do an inspection of the property and units to inspect for damage. It’s especially important to have access to the units if your fellow residents are not available because they evacuated or were out of town.
- Have a list of trusted vendors you can work with should you need to fix damages or remove floodwater.
It’s also important to know what your board legally can and cannot do when it comes to borrowing money to pay for repairs and clean-up.
We’re here to provide peace of mind
Condo HOA Loans will give you the expert guidance and reassurance you need to get through the challenges of hurricane season. You want to quickly cover damages and deductibles should you suffer any damage from a storm this year. At Condo HOA Loans, we have the expertise and knowledge to make sure your HOA is prepared and responsive.