**Download Your Free 2026 Hurricane Prep Guide:
Tracy Team Hurricane Prep (2026)

June 1 marks the official start of hurricane season in Florida, and if you live in Brevard County, this isn't a day to scroll past. We are a barrier island and coastal community. Our beaches are beautiful, our weather is incredible, and when the Atlantic decides to pay us a visit, the margin between prepared and unprepared can be the difference between inconvenience and catastrophe.

Whether you've lived here for decades or you just moved from out of state, the 2026 hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. Forecasters are not predicting a quiet season. The time to prepare is now, not when a storm is 48 hours out and the shelves at Walmart on Wickham are already empty.

The Tracy Team serves homeowners, buyers, sellers, military families, veterans, and newcomers to Brevard County every day. I've personally been through every major storm to hit Florida since 2012. I know what it looks like when people are ready, and I know what it looks like when they're not. We put this guide together because we genuinely care about the people in this community, and because your home is your most valuable asset. Protecting it starts long before a storm watch is issued.

Know Your Evacuation Zone Before You Need It

Brevard County uses an A through F evacuation zone system. Zone A carries the highest risk and includes barrier islands and beachside communities. Zone B covers low-lying coastal areas. Zone C includes neighborhoods near rivers and canals. Zones D through F are inland and typically only face mandatory evacuation in major storms.

If you live in Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, or anywhere on the barrier island, you are in Zone A. In a significant storm, you leave. No debate.

Don't know your zone? Find it by address right now at floridadisaster.org or through the official Brevard County Emergency Management site at brevardfl.gov/EmergencyManagement. This is the single most important thing you can do today.

Prepare Your Home Now, Not When the Watch Is Issued

Once a hurricane watch is posted, you have hours, not days. Contractors are booked, lumber is gone, and the roads are congested. These are the steps to take while conditions are still calm.

Start with your garage door. It is the most common structural failure point in a hurricane. If your garage door is not rated for hurricane-force winds, it needs to be reinforced or replaced before this season opens.

Check your roof. Loose tiles, gaps around vents, worn flashing, and deteriorating seals around skylights all become entry points for wind-driven rain. A quick inspection now costs far less than a post-storm remediation claim.

Install hurricane shutters or pre-cut plywood panels to fit your windows now. If you're using plywood, have it pre-labeled, pre-drilled, and stored in your garage so installation takes minutes, not hours.

Trim trees around your home. Dead branches and overhanging limbs become projectiles. In Brevard County, palms are generally less dangerous than large hardwoods and oaks with broad canopies. If you have any large trees close to your roofline, consult an arborist before storm season.

Clear your gutters and downspouts. Water that cannot drain will find another way into your home.

Secure or bring in everything on your patio, lanai, or yard. Furniture, grills, planters, umbrellas, and decorative items all become dangerous in high wind. If it can't be stored inside or in the garage, anchor it.

Document your home with a video walkthrough. Walk every room, every closet, every exterior wall. Store that video in cloud storage, not just on your phone. This footage is critical for insurance claims.

Review your homeowner's policy and your flood insurance policy now. Standard homeowner's insurance does not cover flood damage. If you are near any body of water in Brevard County, including canals, the Indian River, or the Banana River, flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program is not optional. It is necessary.

Seal gaps around windows and exterior doors. Fill your bathtub with water for non-drinking use. Know exactly where your water shutoff, gas shutoff, and electrical panel are located.

Build Your Household Supply Kit

FEMA recommends a minimum 72-hour supply kit. For Brevard County residents, build for seven days. We have seen power restoration timelines stretch far beyond what the standard guidance suggests, and I've lived that reality firsthand more than once.

Here's what you need stocked before the season opens:

One gallon of water per person per day, minimum seven days. For a family of four, that is 28 gallons. Do not underestimate this.

A seven-day supply of non-perishable food. Include a manual can opener. It sounds obvious. It is also one of the most commonly forgotten items when people are packing to shelter in place.

A 30-day supply of all prescription medications. Refill now. Pharmacies run on reduced hours post-storm, and insurance refill windows can create real complications at the worst possible time.

Cash in small bills. ATMs go offline when power is out. Plan for it.

A battery or hand-crank weather radio. Your phone will be your primary information source right up until the battery dies and the cell towers are down.

Portable power banks, fully charged. Charge them now and keep them charged throughout the season.

Fuel for your generator and vehicle. Fill your tanks before a watch is issued. The lines at gas stations under a hurricane watch can stretch around the block within hours of an announcement.

Copies of your IDs, insurance cards, passports, and important financial documents stored in a waterproof bag or container.

A first aid kit, flashlights, and extra batteries.

Baby and pet supplies if applicable, including medications, carriers, and food.

Hygiene essentials for at least two weeks.

A written list of emergency contacts, not stored only on your phone.

A Special Note for Military Families at Patrick SFB and Cape Canaveral SFS

Brevard County is home to one of the most significant military communities in the country. Patrick Space Force Base serves a large retiree population along with active-duty personnel and senior leadership. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is the primary active-duty installation, and many of you live in Rockledge, Viera, Cocoa, Port St. John, and Titusville. Drive time and base access after a storm are both things you need to plan for now.

For active duty and DoD civilians, you operate under a separate emergency framework. Follow your chain of command and monitor base channels for HURCON status. Here is the official DoD Hurricane Condition scale:

HURCON 5 (96 hours out): Commanders review checklists; begin monitoring.

HURCON 4 (72 hours out): Brief your family, stock supplies, fill your tanks.

HURCON 3 (48 hours out): Secure all items; stand by for unit briefings.

HURCON 2 (24 hours out): Complete final preparations; all personnel are encouraged to evacuate family members.

HURCON 1 (12 hours out): Mission-essential personnel only; all others report to shelters immediately.

Refill your TRICARE prescriptions before June 1. Register with the Airman and Family Readiness Center for family preparedness resources. After a storm, base access requires your CAC, so plan your post-storm re-entry before you need to think about it under pressure. Military OneSource is available 24/7 at 800-342-9647.

Stay Informed. Know Where to Get Reliable Information.

When a storm approaches, you need trusted sources bookmarked before the watch is issued, not while you're scrambling to find signal.

Mike's Weather Page is the best local hurricane tracking resource for the Space Coast and all of Brevard County. Bookmark it today at mikeswxpage.com.

The National Hurricane Center publishes official storm tracks, watches, and warnings. This is your ground truth for storm data. Go to nhc.noaa.gov.

FPL's Storm Center shows the outage map in real time, lets you report outages, and provides restoration estimates. Bookmark it at fpl.com/storm-center.

Brevard County Emergency Management's official site has shelter locations, recovery resources, and county-specific guidance at brevardfl.gov/EmergencyManagement.

For active-duty personnel and base community members, monitor the Patrick SFB official channels for HURCON status updates and base closures.

Emergency Contacts for Brevard County Residents

Save these in your phone today. Better yet, write them on paper and store them with your important documents.

Brevard County Emergency Management: 321-637-6670
Florida Division of Emergency Management: 800-342-3557
FPL Outage Reporting: 800-468-8243
Poison Control Center: 800-222-1222
Military OneSource (24/7): 800-342-9647
Non-Emergency Police: 321-264-5100

What Hurricane Prep Has to Do With Real Estate

If you're buying or selling a home in Brevard County right now, storm preparedness is directly relevant to your transaction. Buyers need to understand flood zone designations, insurance requirements, and the condition of storm protection features on any property they are considering. Impact windows and documented hurricane mitigation features can significantly reduce insurance premiums, and that directly affects purchasing power and monthly carrying cost.

Sellers should document their hurricane mitigation features and have a current wind mitigation report on hand. This is one of the most underutilized seller tools in the Brevard County market. Buyers who know their insurance costs upfront are more confident buyers, and that is better for everyone at the table.

If you have questions about flood zones, insurance implications, or how a property's storm history affects its value or marketability in Brevard County, call us. That is exactly what we do.

Download Your Free 2026 Hurricane Prep Checklist

We put together a one-page printable guide with the full prep checklist, military HURCON scale, evacuation zone breakdown, and all key emergency contacts in one place. Print it, put it on your fridge, and keep it for the entire season.

**Download Your Free 2026 Hurricane Prep Guide:
Tracy Team Hurricane Prep (2026)

The Tracy Team | Your Brevard County Real Estate Experts
321.549.8449 | Admin@tracyteamhq.com | thetracyteamrealty.com