This Guide is intended to help you decide how to protect your home against the winds and rains of hurricanes. And, it is intended to help you decide what protection measures to take first. You will find that many of the retrofits or protective measures are easy to do for a physically fit homeowner. Other things may require the expertise of a handyman or contractor. For some homeowners, the information may at various points be "over their head" because it becomes too technical. That is ok, because the guide is intended to provide the homeowner with ideas as well as providing people familiar with construction or in the construction business with the technical help they may need to protect your home.

By clicking on one of the dots on the picture below, you can begin to explore the risks associated with various parts of your house and the kinds of actions that will protect your home. The information is intended to provide guidance on best practices.

In addition to protecting your home, some of the things you do may lead to reductions in insurance premiums and some purchases and actions may be candidates for low-interest rate loans or tax holiday benefits (may depend on purchase date) through programs of the State of Florida.

Though you can't completely "hurricane proof" your house, you can sure help it survive. This guide is intended to assist you in arranging priorities of things to increase the chances of your house surviving a hurricane. An emphasis has been placed on setting priorities based on what can be accomplished in a cost effective manner. Of course houses differ, so the priorities may not perfectly apply to your home. However, the advice should be a good starting point for making your house better able to withstand the winds and rain of a hurricane.

The reader is cautioned that there is no such thing as a "hurricane proof" house and that materials and systems frequently degrade over time. Neither the Florida Department of Community Affairs, who funded this effort, nor the Institute for Business & Home Safety, who developed this guide, warrants this guide or any of the retrofits undertaken as a result of your use of this information.