The pre-hurricane-season exterior checklist Palm Beach County homes actually need

Hurricane season runs June through November, and the exterior work that matters most is the unglamorous kind done before the first storm has a name. Here is the checklist we walk on our own homes.

1. Clear the gutters and downspouts

The single highest-value item on this list. A Palm Beach County thunderstorm drops water faster than a half-clogged gutter can move it; the overflow goes against fascia boards, behind soffits, and into flower-bed erosion. Have interiors hand-cleared, downspouts flushed until they run free, and splash points checked — details on our gutter cleaning page. Do it in May, not the day a cone appears.

2. Walk the yard drains

Pop-up emitters and French drain outlets clog with grass clippings and mulch all spring. Two minutes with a hose now tells you whether the summer''s first tropical downpour ponds against the slab.

3. Get eyes on the roof

You do not want a surprise during a storm. Have a roofer walk it before the season — cracked tiles, slipped pieces, and soft spots are a one-visit fix in May and an emergency tarp in September.

4. Wash before, not just after

A pre-season house wash does two practical things: it removes the algae film that makes walkways and pool decks dangerously slick once daily rain starts, and it gives you a documented, photographed "before" condition of the whole exterior — genuinely useful if you ever face an insurance conversation after a storm.

5. Know your loose items

Screen doors with tired latches, patio umbrellas, potted plants on plant stands — the pre-storm scramble is shorter when you have already decided what gets moved where.

After a storm

Once the debris is picked up, rinse matters: wind-driven rain leaves organic film and grit across walls and screens, and standing debris stains pavers within days. A post-storm rinse-down is quick work if the pre-season cleaning was done — another reason the maintenance plans that bracket the season are the practical choice here.

Waiting until a storm is named to think about any of this is the Florida tradition — but the checklist takes one afternoon in May, and half of it we can do for you: get on the schedule before the rush.