2025 Hurricane Season Alert: The Florida Business Survival & Insurance Checklist
NOAA gives 2025 a 60 % chance of an above-normal Atlantic hurricane season, with 13-19 named storms and up to five majors. At the same time, Tallahassee just pumped an extra $100 million into the My Safe Florida Home wind-mitigation grant program, and local hurricane expos are popping up statewide to help owners brace for impact. Below you’ll find the latest forecast, new state resources, and a step-by-step coverage tune-up that turns ominous storm tracks into a manageable business drill.
1. Storm Season 2025 at a Glance
| Metric | NOAA 2025 Outlook | Long-term Avg. |
| Named storms | 13 – 19 | 14 |
| Hurricanes | 6 – 10 | 7 |
| Major (Cat 3+) | 3 – 5 | 3 |
Drivers: bathtub-warm Atlantic waters and a shift to La Niña boost development odds.
Watch list: early-season Gulf gyres can spin up fast, giving Florida firms less than 72 hours’ lead time.
2. Fresh State Tools You Shouldn’t Ignore
My Safe Florida Home 2.0
- Legislation approved a $100 M funding boost on June 4, enough for ~10,000 more free wind inspections and matching grants up to $10,000.
- Grants now cover some commercial-residential hybrids (strip-mall condos) after HB 7028 tweaks.
SBA & State Bridge Loans
- SBA opened low-interest disaster loans for firms hit by 2024’s Helene & Milton—still available if another storm strikes in 2025.
- Florida Commerce keeps a 0 % Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan pool ready to activate after any new landfall.
Community Know-How
- Town of Davie Hurricane Expo – May 20, 2025
- Disasters Expo USA – Miami Beach, Mar 5-6, 2025, Grab vendor swag, meet insurers, and score continuity-plan templates.
3. Hidden Gaps to Close Before the First Watch
| Risk Trigger | Typical Policy | Gap-Plugging Move |
| Wind/hail deductible shock | Commercial Property | Buy a hurricane deductible buydown or set up a parametric “cat-in-a-box” cover that pays at Cat 3 landfall. |
| Port or supplier shutdowns | Property & BOP | Add Contingent Business Interruption (CBI)—standard forms exclude off-premises delays. |
| Flood exclusion | Property | Pair with NFIP or private flood; new state flood-disclosure law highlights rising exposure. |
| Cash-flow crunch post-storm | N/A | Pre-qualify for SBA or Bridge Loan programs now; paperwork goes 2× faster if SAM.gov & SunBiz profiles are current. |
| Contractor fraud | GL/E&O | Use DFS “Check My Contract” portal launched after Helene & Milton to vet vendors. |
4. Five-Step Hurricane Prep & Insurance Checklist
- Schedule a free wind inspection via My Safe Florida Home; grant apps open July 8.
- Update property valuations—inflation pushed rebuild costs 9 % higher in 2024.
- Ask your agent for CBI and extended BI quotes if ≥20 % of revenue depends on a single port or vendor.
- Move mission-critical data to a cloud region outside the Southeast to avoid simultaneous wind & power losses.
- Bookmark DFS’s consumer storm page for live claim-filing tips and helpline numbers ahead of landfall
5. Local Events & Deadlines Calendar
| Date | Event / Resource | Why Show Up |
| May 3 | Wellington Hurricane & Severe Weather Expo | Hands-on demos of roof-strapping and flood-barrier products. |
| May 20 | Davie Hurricane Expo | Free continuity-plan workbook for small firms. |
| Jun 1 | Official season kickoff; Florida CFO launches “PrepareFL” hotline | Get policy questions answered before storms form. |
| Jul 8 | My Safe Florida Home grant window opens for businesses in mixed-use buildings | First-come, first-served funding goes fast. |
| Sept 30 | Florida minimum wage rises to $13/hr (plan payroll budgets) | Overtime after storm recovery just got pricier. |
The 2025 forecast is no paper tiger. By combining state grants, low-interest loan options, and a tightened insurance stack, Florida businesses can ride out a hyperactive season with confidence. Want a “stormproof” policy review? Call Dependable Partners today!
