When you live in South Florida, you enjoy subtropical weather all year long with very few climate issues. One of the biggest weather-related challenges is the unpredictable season when tropical storms churn into hurricanes. As your trusted south florida professional moving company, we have experienced what it is like to execute hundreds of moves at a time during hurricane season. If you have a move planned for the summer, the busiest moving time of the year, it pays to know what to do in the event that your move date falls on a hurricane watch.
Take a Deep Breath and Except the Things You Cannot Change
A helpful thing to remember if you are moving during hurricane season is that all the events that are affecting your life, are affecting everyone else as well. Its easy to understand why our customers feel stressed because they cannot move in or out on a specific day. In the long run, there is no sense in feeling anxious about delays to the original schedule because most likely the entire South Florida area is being delayed at the same time. Sure, your plans are on hold, but so is the rest of Florida too.
Take Control of the Options You do Have During Hurricane Season
If it comes down to it, and the eye of the hurricane is heading your way, you’re primary focus should be on your safety. Get the supplies you need to ride out the storm in advance and take the time to assess your current property for ways to protect it with the resources you have. When you are moving during hurricane season, you have two homes to be concerned with: your current home as well as the one you are planning on moving to.
Though you may have less control over the new location, at least you can take the necessary steps to protect the home you are leaving. This is especially important if you are in the middle of selling your home. Protect it anyway you can, especially boarding up windows, installing hurricane shutters and removing all breakable items from shelves and walls. If you haven’t started already, it’s a good idea to pack those things away now.
Reach out to your South Florida Moving Company
We make every effort when moving during hurricane season to inform our customers of any updates that may affect their move. However, once the power goes out and cell towers become blocked, communicating to our customers becomes more unpredictable. It’s always a good idea to reach out to your South Florida Moving Company to see what they recommend as the hurricane approaches. For instance, you may have to arrange for alternate housing or stay at a shelter if you are in the direct path of the hurricane. If you have flexibility with your move dates you may want to see what other slots are available once the storm has passed. If moving during a hurricane just means lots of rain and you can still safely proceed with moving, at least prepare for rainy weather. Focus on staying safe and keeping your belongings dry. Perhaps it’s a good idea to invest in some tarp or plastic sheet covering for your floor entrances. You can use duct tape to hold them in place.
Inquire about insurance for the storm
Moving during a hurricane will create some modifications to the normal routine. You know what you can do to prevent loss and damage. The rest is in the hands of your insurance providers. It might be a good idea to reacquaint yourself with your homeowner’s insurance to see what is covered. If you are wise enough to also have renter’s insurance for you personal belongings, give them a call to see what items will be covered as well. Most south Florida moving companies like ours also offer additional insurance coverage for items damaged or lost during the move. While additional coverage is not necessary in all moving cases, moving during a hurricane might be an appropriate time to inquire about full coverage.
Take your valuables with you
When it comes to the uncertainty of moving during hurricane season, it is wise to keep your valuables with you to ensure they are accessible when needed. Some valuables may come in handy during a state of emergency like your cash, and insurance cards, while other valuables are just something you don’t want falling prey to theft or damage. So of course you want to keep expensive jewelry and your laptops with you, but it is also a good idea to get a waterproof bin to store documents like birth certificates, titles of ownership, social security cards, passports, and checkbooks too. Don’t forget those items of sentiment like family pictures or wedding and baby trinkets that you feel are irreplaceable.
Contact a pro for your hurricane season move
Take some of the uncertainty out of your move by hiring a professional local mover to get your belongings to your new home safely and efficiently. It makes great sense to do your due diligence and ask your moving candidates what their policies and procedures are when a hurricane is closing in on your move date. Feel free to give us a call to explain to you what you can expect if your move date fall into hurricane territory. We are confident that we are the most prepared to execute your move while braving the storms in South Florida. Free quotes are always available.
