Houston Hurricane Prep Guide: Protect Your Home Before Season Starts (2026)

Hire a licensed roofer to check for loose or missing shingles, lifted flashing around chimney and vents, and soft spots that indicate moisture intrusion. In Houston's climate, roofs take a beating from UV exposure, summer storms, and thermal expansion. A small repair now is $300. A roof that fails in a Category 2 is $15,000–$30,000 — and insurance disputes are brutal without prior documentation.

Remove dead branches and any branch within 10 feet of your house, roof, or power lines. Houston's live oaks, pines, and pecan trees are beautiful until 80 mph winds turn them into projectiles. An ISA-certified arborist can assess structural risk and handle the removal safely. Do not DIY large branches near power lines — that's a CENTERPOINT energy crew call.

Clean gutters of post-pollen and spring debris. Then walk your yard during a heavy rain (or run the hose) and watch where water flows. Houston's flat terrain means drainage is entirely dependent on proper grading — any water pooling toward your foundation during a 12-inch storm event is a serious problem. Check downspout extensions are directing water at least 4 feet from the house.

Inspect the grade around your foundation perimeter. Houston's clay soil becomes unstable when saturated — and a hurricane can dump 20+ inches in 24 hours (Harvey dropped 60 inches in some areas). Soil should slope away from the foundation at roughly 6 inches per 10 feet. If you see areas where water pools against the slab, re-grading now prevents both flood and foundation damage.

Your two options: impact-rated shutters (permanent, pull down in minutes, $2,000–$8,000 installed) or pre-cut plywood panels (cheap but labor-intensive, requires storage and 4–6 hours of installation). Measure every window now and either order shutters or cut plywood labeled by window. Storm-resistant film adds some protection but does not substitute for shutters in a major storm. Houston building code does not require impact windows, but they pay off in wind insurance discounts.

Your garage door is the single largest and weakest opening in most Houston homes. In a hurricane, a failed garage door creates a pressure differential that can lift your roof. Check if your current door is rated for wind loads (look for a sticker on the inside frame). If not, a bracing kit runs $150–$300 and takes a few hours. A full wind-rated door replacement costs $800–$2,500 but qualifies for most homeowner insurance discounts. Don't skip this — it's the failure mode that turns a surviving house into a destroyed one.

Two categories: portable generators ($500–$1,500) run a few appliances but require manual fueling and must stay outside due to CO risk. Whole-house standby generators ($5,000–$15,000 installed) connect to your natural gas line and kick on automatically — the right answer if you have a medical device, elderly family, or simply refuse to lose your AC for 10 days like Houston does after every major storm. Whatever you choose, test it now while parts and service are available. A generator that won't start on the day of landfall is worthless.

If your roof inspection flagged any lifted or cracked flashing around vents, skylights, or the chimney — get it sealed before season. Roofing cement and fresh flashing takes a few hours and prevents interior water damage from wind-driven rain. Even Category 1 storms can push water under lifted flashing at 90 mph.

FEMA recommends 72 hours of supplies minimum; Houston's post-Harvey experience suggests 2 weeks is more realistic. Your kit should include: 1 gallon of water per person per day, non-perishable food, prescription medications (30-day supply if possible), first aid kit, battery-powered or hand-crank radio, flashlights with extra batteries, phone chargers and battery packs, cash, and copies of critical documents. Store it in a waterproof container you can grab in 5 minutes.

Critical Houston fact: standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. Flood insurance is a separate NFIP or private policy, and it has a 30-day waiting period before taking effect — meaning you cannot buy it when a storm enters the Gulf. Review your current homeowners policy for wind deductibles (often 1–5% of home value in Texas, not a flat dollar amount). If you're not in an SFHA and skipped flood insurance, consider it: Harris County floods in 1-, 5-, and 10-year events, not just "100-year" ones.

Gather: home deed, insurance policies and agent contacts, birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards, vehicle titles, and medical records. Store originals in a waterproof, fireproof container or sealed zip-lock bag. Upload digital copies to cloud storage. When adjusters show up after a storm and your house is gutted, having documentation ready is the difference between a fast claim and a 9-month fight.

Keep vehicles at minimum half a tank from June 1 through November 30. When a storm is announced, gas stations in Houston run dry within hours — lines stretch 50+ cars and pumps run out. If you own an EV, know your nearest fast-charging station and its backup power status. Pre-identify your evacuation route (I-45N, US-290W, I-10W, US-59N) and the Houston contraflow plan that reverses inbound lanes to outbound during evacuations.

Set your AC to 72°F or lower and let it run 24 hours before the storm. Once power goes out in Houston summer heat, interior temperatures rise fast — a pre-cooled house stays livable for 8–12 hours longer. Also fill your refrigerator and freezer with water bottles to maintain cold mass. A full freezer stays frozen roughly 48 hours; a half-empty one lasts 24.

Fill every bathtub in the house. Municipal water pressure can fail during or after major storms, and water boil notices last days to weeks post-storm in some Harris County areas. Bathtub water is for flushing toilets, not drinking — use your stored bottled water for drinking. A WaterBOB bathtub insert ($30) keeps 100 gallons clean and covered if you want potable backup water.

Move all patio furniture, planters, grills, toys, and anything not bolted down indoors or into the garage. At 100 mph, a plastic chair becomes a window-shattering projectile. Trampolines are notoriously dangerous — they can become airborne even in Tropical Storm-force winds. Take down any fence sections that could lift as a sail if they're already loose.

Charge every phone, tablet, laptop, battery pack, and electric vehicle to 100%. Download the NWS Houston app and enable emergency alerts. Save the Harris County Flood Control District hotline (888-899-8625) and your electric utility outage reporting number in your contacts. Know your evacuation zone letter (A through E in Harris County) at readyharris.org.

Harris County uses lettered evacuation zones. Zone A is highest priority (coastal and low-lying areas), ordered to evacuate in a major storm. Zones B–E evacuate based on storm intensity. Look up your zone now at harriscountyfemt.org and on the Harris County flood risk map. Don't look this up during a storm watch when traffic is already building.

Before moving anything, photograph and video every room and every inch of exterior damage. This documentation is your insurance claim. Walk around the perimeter, photograph the roof from the street, open every closet and cabinet. Adjusters often push back on damage that isn't documented before cleanup begins. Upload your photos to cloud storage immediately in case your phone is lost or damaged during cleanup.

Before turning on any electricity or appliances, smell for natural gas near your meter, water heater, and stove. If you detect rotten-egg odor, leave immediately and call CenterPoint from outside the house (713-659-2111). Do not flip any light switches. A post-storm gas leak combined with generator exhaust fumes inside a house is how post-storm fatalities happen. Wait for a CenterPoint technician to clear the home before re-energizing.

Standing water after a Houston storm carries live electrical current from downed lines and transformers, raw sewage from overwhelmed infrastructure, and chemical contamination from flooded industrial sites. Do not drive through flooded streets — 12 inches of moving water can sweep away a car. "Turn Around, Don't Drown" is not just a slogan; it's how most flood fatalities happen in Texas every year.

After every major Houston storm, unlicensed contractors flood the area offering fast, cheap repairs. They take deposits and disappear, or do shoddy work that fails inspection and voids your insurance claim. Before signing any contract: verify the contractor's Texas license at tdlr.texas.gov, check their BBB rating, and never sign an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) form that signs over your insurance rights. Get at least two estimates for any job over $500.