Living in Tampa Bay means enjoying sunshine, waterfront living, and year-round outdoor fun — but it also means preparing for hurricane season. As your South Tampa Realtor, I want to make sure my clients, neighbors, and friends have the tools they need to stay safe, protect their homes, and navigate storm season with confidence.

🏡 Steps to Prepare Your Home

1. Review Your Insurance

• Check your homeowner’s insurance coverage to ensure you’re protected.
• Make sure flood insurance is included — most standard policies don’t cover flooding.

2. Protect Your Property

• Trim trees and secure outdoor furniture.
• Invest in hurricane shutters or pre-cut plywood for windows.
• Clean gutters and drains to prevent water backup.

3. Safeguard Important Documents

• Store deeds, insurance papers, and identification in waterproof containers.
• Keep digital copies in secure cloud storage.

🛒 Build a Hurricane Supply Kit

• Bottled water (1 gallon per person per day for at least 3 days)
• Non-perishable food and snacks
• Medications and first aid kit
• Flashlights, batteries, portable chargers
• Pet supplies and cash on hand

🚗 Have an Evacuation & Communication Plan

• Know your evacuation zone using the Hillsborough County Hurricane Evacuation Zone Lookup.
• Identify nearby shelters or plan to stay with friends/family inland.
• Share your evacuation plan with loved ones.

📲 Stay Informed

• Monitor the National Hurricane Center for official storm updates.
• Sign up for Alert Tampa for citywide emergency notifications.
• Download the Hillsborough County Ready App for local alerts.

🏖️ Helpful Local Resources

• Tampa Sandbag Pickup Locations – updated by the City of Tampa before each storm.
• FEMA Flood Map Service Center – check your property’s flood zone.
• Sea Level Rise Viewer (NOAA) – visualize sea level rise and potential impacts in Tampa Bay.

👩‍💼 My Commitment to You

Whether you’re preparing your current home or considering buying/selling during storm season, I’m here as a resource. Real estate in Florida comes with unique factors like flood zones, insurance requirements, and elevation considerations — I’ll guide you every step of the way.

✅ Tip: Being proactive is the key. Preparedness not only protects your home and family but also provides peace of mind.

If you’d like a custom home preparedness checklist or have questions about how hurricane season impacts real estate in Tampa, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Kimberly Russian

South Tampa Realtor | Luxury Marketing Specialist

📞 813-753-7664

📧 kimberly.russian@cbrealty.com

🌐 www.kimberlyrussianluxuryliving.com