Prepare your patio or lanai for a hurricane: a Florida checklist
Quick answer: Start early. Bring in furniture, grills, planters and anything else that can blow around. Don't sink furniture in the pool if you can avoid it, and don't drain the pool. Clear drains, turn off outdoor power and pool equipment at the breaker, raise everyday shade and insect screens, and protect the openings with storm protection that is rated for it. If you run a generator, keep it outside at least 20 feet from the house, never on the lanai or in the garage.
We first wrote this guide as Hurricane Milton approached Florida in October 2024. The checklist works for any storm, so we've updated it for every hurricane season since. A patio or lanai is usually the most exposed part of a Florida home: open on several sides, full of loose things, and often the last place anyone thinks about once a watch is issued.
Here's what to do, in the order that saves the most time.
When to start: a simple timeline
1. Bring in furniture, grills, and anything loose
Patio furniture, cushions, umbrellas, planters, toys, and even small decorations can become projectiles in hurricane winds. They can break windows and screens, damage your roof, and hurt your neighbors' homes as well as yours. Moving them inside is the best option, so plan your space before the storm: the garage, a spare room, or a secure shed.
Grills and outdoor cooking stations are the hardest items to move because of their size and weight, so start with them. Disconnect propane tanks and keep them outside, upright and secured, never in the house or garage. Leave clear paths to doors and exits once everything is inside.
Should you put patio furniture in the pool?
1. Secure or Bring in Furniture and Outdoor Items
Try not to. Pool chemicals can damage furniture, and metal frames can scratch or stain the pool finish, which is an expensive repair. Florida pool guidance treats it as a last resort only: if there is truly no space inside, lower pieces in gently rather than throwing them in. The better long-term answer is a plan, or protection, that lets your furniture stay where it is.
2. Protect the openings: screen doors, screens, and the lanai itself
Screen doors and screened enclosures are often overlooked, and high winds can tear them loose and send them into the house. Latch and secure screen doors, and remove or tie down anything hanging from the enclosure frame.
Everyday insect, shade, and privacy screens don't protect against storms. Raise them before the storm so the wind has less to push on. Protecting the openings themselves requires products tested and approved for hurricane use. Plywood and panels work, but they take hours to put up and leave the space dark until they come down.
Motorized hurricane screens are the other route. Fenetex® MaxForce™ Hurricane Screens stay rolled up in a housing above the opening and lower with a switch or remote, so there are no panels to store and no ladder work. Our guide to roll-down hurricane screens for patios explains how they work and what they are approved for.
3. Trim trees and shrubs well before the storm
Weak or overhanging branches can snap in high winds and fall onto the roof, the screen enclosure, or the patio. Trimming is a job for the start of the season, not the day a warning is issued: the work gets riskier as the weather turns, and cut branches left at the curb become debris of their own. For large trees or anything near power lines, hire a licensed, insured tree service.
4. Plan for water: drains, gutters and doors
Patios and lanais often have less drainage than the rest of the house, so heavy rain can pool quickly and push toward the doors. Before the storm, clear strip drains and spot drains, clean gutters, and make sure downspouts and any French drains can carry water away.
Place sandbags along the doors that open onto the patio, with a tarp underneath to help the seal. If water collects in the same spot every heavy rain, add a long-term drainage fix to your list for after the season.
5. Get the pool ready without draining it
Don't drain the pool. The water's weight helps hold the shell in place. When heavy rain raises the water table, an empty or low pool can lift out of the ground. If you lower the level at all, don't go below the bottom of the skimmer.
Turn off the pump, heater, lights, and chlorinator at the breaker, and shut the gas supply to a gas heater.
Add extra chlorine and run the pump for a while before you shut it off, so the water starts clean.
Bring in loose pool items such as automatic cleaners, poles, and floats.
6. Make outdoor power and generators safe
Water and electricity don't mix. Turn off outdoor circuits for lighting, fans, and equipment at the breaker, cover outdoor outlets, and take down string and rope lights, which are easily damaged and can be a hazard near the pool.
If you use a portable generator, run it outside only, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from doors, windows, and vents. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns against running one on a porch or in a carport, so a covered lanai or the garage is not a safe spot, even with the doors open. Let it cool before refueling, and keep a working carbon monoxide alarm inside. Our generator safety tips go into more detail.
After the storm
Walk the patio before you use it. Look for loose fasteners, bent tracks, torn screen and debris in drains. If you have motorized screens, check the housings and tracks before running them, and don't force a screen that binds. Our guide on how to spot storm damage on motorized screens walks through what to look for.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do with patio furniture during a hurricane?
Bring it inside if you can: the garage, a spare room, or a secured shed. Anything left out can become a projectile. Sinking furniture in the pool is a last resort, because chemicals and metal frames can damage both the furniture and the pool finish.
What should I do with patio furniture during a hurricane?
Bring it inside if you can: the garage, a spare room, or a secured shed. Anything left out can become a projectile. Sinking furniture in the pool is a last resort, because chemicals and metal frames can damage both the furniture and the pool finish.
Can I leave furniture on a screened lanai during a hurricane?
It's safer not to. Insect screens don't stop wind or flying debris, and a torn screen panel can take furniture with it. Bring it in, or store it against a wall of the house where it is out of the wind.
Should I drain my pool before a hurricane?
No. A full pool is heavier and more stable when the ground is saturated. If you expect heavy rain, you can lower the level slightly, but not below the bottom of the skimmer.
How early should I start preparing my patio for a hurricane?
Do the slow jobs, like tree trimming, drain cleaning, and testing your storm protection, before the season starts. Start moving furniture and grills when a storm is forecast, and aim to finish patio prep by the time a hurricane watch is issued.
Related reading
Sources
National Hurricane Center: hurricane watch and warning definitions
FEMA: keep your family and pets safe when using generators after a hurricane
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: hurricane safety and portable generators
WFTV: preparing your pool before a storm (Florida Swimming Pool Association guidance)
Fenetex® MaxForce™ Hurricane Screens are made in the USA by Fenetex® in Jacksonville, Florida. Installed and serviced by Florida Living Outdoor.
