2025 Hurricane Season Alert: The Florida Business Survival & Insurance Checklist

Lucas Alvarez
Jun 19
3 min read

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!