Storm Prep Checklist for a Coastal Cottage or Lake House

Coastal and lakefront places get hit by weather the rest of the family never sees. A nor’easter in October, a tropical storm in September, a surprise summer squall that takes the dock. When the warning comes, the person at the cottage that week is the one who has to act, and often it is the cousin who has never done it.

A storm prep checklist that lives with the house turns a panicked phone call into a twenty-minute routine. Here is a checklist to adapt, plus what to do when nobody is there at all.

Your safety comes first. If officials call for evacuation, go. No dock or grill is worth staying for.

When a storm is forecast

Start when the storm is still a few days out. Most of this takes longer than you expect and hardware stores empty fast.

Know the plan

Check the house manual for the storm procedure and the shutoff locations.
Confirm who is at the property and who is nearest if nobody is.
Decide early whether to stay or leave, and tell the family which.

Outside

Bring in or tie down anything the wind can lift: chairs, umbrellas, cushions, grills, kayaks, paddleboards, trash cans, planters, the flag.
Take down hanging plants, wind chimes, and awnings.
Pull small boats and secure larger ones with extra lines and fenders, or move them if you can.
Remove the dock sections if yours are removable and there is time. If not, take off anything loose: ladders, benches, hoses.
Clear gutters and downspouts so the roof can shed water.
Close and latch shutters, or board windows facing the water if that is your practice.
Move vehicles away from trees and out of low spots.

Inside

Fill the bathtub and a few jugs with water in case the well pump loses power.
Charge phones, laptops, and battery packs. Find the flashlights and check the batteries.
Move valuables and electronics off the floor and away from windows.
Turn the refrigerator and freezer to their coldest setting and avoid opening them.
Locate the main water shutoff and the electrical panel.
Photograph each room and the exterior for insurance, before the storm.

Systems

Test the generator if you have one, and make sure the fuel is fresh.
Turn off propane at the tank if you are leaving.
Unplug sensitive electronics, or put them on surge protectors.
Know where the sump pump is and whether it has battery backup.

If you are leaving

Shut off the water main and, if it will be cold, follow the closing checklist for the pipes.
Turn off breakers except for refrigeration, sump pump, and alarm.
Lock up, take photos, and tell the family you are out.

After the storm

Wait for officials to say the area is safe before returning.
Walk the outside before going in. Look for downed lines, gas smell, and structural damage.
Photograph everything before you clean up.
Check the roof, the dock, the bank or bulkhead, and the trees.
Run the water and check the well for contamination if the area flooded.
Report damage to the family and to insurance the same day.
Update the checklist with anything you wish you had known.

When nobody is there

The hardest case is a storm in the off season when the place is closed up. Have a plan for it:

Know the nearest family member or a trusted neighbor who can check the property afterward, and give them a key.
Consider a caretaker for the winter if the place is far from everyone.
Keep photos of the shutoffs in the house manual so a neighbor can help by phone.
Make sure insurance details and the agent’s number are somewhere the family can reach, not in one person’s desk.

Put the plan where the panic happens

A storm plan in a binder at home is no help to the nephew standing on the deck watching the sky turn green. Keep it with the property, in a form the family can open on a phone: the checklist, photos of the valves and breakers, and the numbers to call.

That is what SharedStead’s procedures are for. Storm prep, opening, and closing checklists live on the property next to its calendar, so whoever is there that week has the family’s collected knowledge in their pocket. The plan gets better every storm, because the person who just lived through one can add what they learned for the next.