Preparing Your Louisiana Home for Hurricane Season

This guide gives a general preparation checklist, for homes across Louisiana, from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, with no claim about any specific storm or any specific place. For the service itself, the flood water extraction page gives a general outline.

Start with the outside of the home

Begin outside, where the water first meets the home. Clean the gutters and the downspouts, and check that the downspouts discharge away from the walls. Walk the ground around the home and note where water gathers after rain, and fill the low spots near the walls where water pools. Clear the drains, and check that the water has somewhere to go once it leaves them.

Look at the roof from the ground for lifted shingles, loose flashing, or visible damage, and note anything that needs a roofer. Trim branches that overhang the roof, because a branch that falls in a storm can open the roof to the rain. Move loose items from the yard, because anything left loose becomes debris in strong wind.

Begin outside, where the water first meets the home. Clean the gutters and the downspouts, and check that the downspouts discharge away from the walls. Walk the ground around the home and note where water gathers after rain, and fill the low spots near the walls where water pools. Clear the drains, and check that the water has somewhere to go once it leaves them.

Check the inside of the home

Inside, check for leaks before the season starts. Look under sinks, behind toilets, around the base of the water heater, and at the hoses behind the washing machine, and note any damp patches, staining, or musty smells. A leak that is found and fixed before the season is one less source of water when the rain arrives. Check the water meter reading, and check it again after an hour with no water running, to see whether water is going somewhere it should not be.

Find the main water shut-off, make sure it turns, and show everyone in the household where it is. If a pipe is damaged during a storm, the water is stopped by shutting it off, and every minute of running water adds to the job. Knowing the shut-off before the season is worth more than knowing it during a storm.

Look at the roof from the ground for lifted shingles, loose flashing, or visible damage, and note anything that needs a roofer. Trim branches that overhang the roof, because a branch that falls in a storm can open the roof to the rain. Move loose items from the yard, because anything left loose becomes debris in strong wind, and debris breaks windows and damages roofs.

Preparing Your Louisiana Home for Hurricane Season — Louisiana water guide

Protect belongings in low rooms

Rooms that are low, or that have a history of water at a doorway, deserve attention before the season. Move valuables, papers, and photographs off the floor and onto raised surfaces, and keep them in waterproof containers where that is practical. Move stored goods in low rooms to higher shelves, and keep the lowest doorways clear of clutter, so that water can be seen early and the rooms can be reached quickly.

It is also worth taking photographs of the home before the season, room by room, as a record of the condition of the home and the belongings in it. Photographs taken in calm weather are a useful record, and they are far easier to take now than after a storm.

Inside, check for leaks before the season starts. Look under sinks, behind toilets, around the base of the water heater, and at the hoses behind the washing machine, and note any damp patches, staining, or musty smells. A leak that is found and fixed before the season is one less source of water when the rain arrives, and the check takes only a few minutes.

Plan for the storm itself

When a storm is forecast, there are a few practical steps to take. Move outdoor furniture and loose items inside or secure them. Close and secure windows and doors, and keep the lowest rooms clear. Charge phones, and keep the number for a water professional where it can be found: (877) 624-0105. Know where you would go if the water rose around the home, and leave the area if you can do so safely when the water rises.

Do not try to hold back flood water by hand, and do not wade into standing water to move belongings. Safety comes before property, every time. If water is entering the home, call a professional from a dry place once you are safe.

Find the main water shut-off, make sure it turns, and show everyone in the household where it is. If a pipe is damaged during a storm, the water is stopped by shutting it off, and every minute of running water adds to the job. Knowing the shut-off before the season is worth more than knowing it during a storm, when the pressure is on and the water is running.

After the storm

After the storm has passed and it is safe to approach the home, call a professional from a dry place if water has entered. Describe what happened, where the water is, how deep it is, and how far it has spread. Do not climb onto a roof to check for damage, and do not enter a flooded building. The structure of the home may have been affected in ways that are not visible from the ground, and the water inside may have reached electrics.

In the weeks after the job, watch the affected area for new damp spots or a musty smell, and call if anything appears. Preparation before the season, and a careful response after it, are the two halves of the same habit.

Rooms that are low, or that have a history of water at a doorway, deserve attention before the season. Move valuables, papers, and photographs off the floor and onto raised surfaces, and keep them in waterproof containers where that is practical. Move stored goods in low rooms to higher shelves, and keep the lowest doorways clear of clutter, so that water can be seen early.

Key Takeaways

Begin outside, where the water first meets the home.
Inside, check for leaks before the season starts.
Rooms that are low, or that have a history of water at a doorway, deserve attention before the season.
When a storm is forecast, there are a few practical steps to take.
After the storm has passed and it is safe to approach the home, call a professional from a dry place if water has entered.

Questions About Preparing Your Louisiana Home for Hurricane Season

When should I prepare my home for hurricane season?

Before the season starts, while the weather is calm. Cleaning the gutters, checking for leaks, and finding the shut-off are jobs worth doing in good time, not when a storm is already forecast.

What is the most useful preparation step?

Cleaning the gutters and checking that the downspouts discharge away from the home, and finding the main water shut-off and making sure it turns. Both are simple, and both make a real difference.

Should I move belongings before a storm?

Yes, in low rooms and in rooms with a history of water at a doorway. Move valuables, papers, and photographs off the floor and onto raised surfaces, and keep the lowest doorways clear of clutter.

What do I do after the storm?

Once it is safe to approach the home, call a professional from a dry place if water has entered. Do not climb onto a roof, and do not enter a flooded building. Describe what happened, where the water is, and how far it has spread.

Your Next Step

If this guide matches what you found at home, the next step is a visit — not a guess. Call and describe what you found, and the visit is arranged from what you describe. The Flood Water Extraction page explains what that service covers, and the water removal page explains what that service covers when water has spread to more than one room.

Do not enter flooded rooms while you wait, and if water is leaking, turn off the shut-off valve for that fixture where you can reach it safely from dry ground.

Keep the guides on this site bookmarked: the first guide, the signs guide, and the preparation guide cover the checks worth repeating — after moving in, and after bringing used fixtures home.

Water extraction help is available across Louisiana. See water extraction in Broadmoor, New Orleans, LA for one local example, or find your town on the service areas page.