Hurricane Preparation for Restaurants, Stores and Commercial Kitchens: Gulf Coast Checklist

The Facts

Hurricane Prep

72 Hours Out

Rooftop units: secure loose panels, clear drains, photograph every unit and its nameplate.
Walk-ins: set to the cold end of range, tape the seal, move a thermometer inside, know your product rules.
Ice machines: run full, then power down and cover if the roof is questionable.
Fryers: drain or cover. Water in oil is a fire when power returns.

24 Hours Out

Photograph every room, ceiling, and floor. Dry, dated proof is what an adjuster compares against.
Move paper, product, and electronics off the floor and away from exterior walls.
Turn off water heaters and the main if the building will be empty.
Know where the breakers are and mark the ones for refrigeration.

After Landfall

Do not run generators indoors or on a wet slab. Refrigeration on a generator only if the generator is sized for the compressor start.
Photograph before touching anything. Then stop the source, then call.
Existing accounts and signed priority-response agreements are served first, in the order they were signed.
Percentage deductibles change the math. See below before you file.

Priority-Response Agreements

Signed in spring, free to sign, paid only if triggered: a response window, emergency rates fixed to the posted schedule in advance, a deposit on file, and one line that saves everyone a week, your water deductible and your named-storm deductible, written down. After landfall the list is already sorted and the trucks roll in order.

The Deductible Rule Nobody Explains

Commercial water deductibles are usually flat, often between one and five thousand dollars, and a covered loss is worth filing. Named-storm and wind deductibles are often one to five percent of building value and can exceed the entire cost of a drying job. When the deductible is near or above the expected invoice, it is a self-pay job whatever the policy says. We say that before the first unit goes in, quote it off the same schedule, and let you decide. Knowing your two deductibles in May is worth more than any checklist on this page.

Why Local Matters

Out-of-state storm crews arrive after the roads open and leave when the next storm hits somewhere else. We live here, our equipment is here, and our accounts are the buildings we were in last week. Storm work for us is the same documentation, the same posted rates, and the same technicians, at scale.

Dirty Works technician servicing a rooftop unit

Storm Season

Need the Documents Today?

Text 601-337-1069 with the certificate holder's legal name and address, or email the vendor form. The W-9 and certificate of insurance come back the same business day.

Text the Request

Common Questions

Hurricane Prep FAQ

Do you offer a priority-response agreement?

Yes, to commercial accounts. It fixes the response window, the rates, and the deposit in advance, and records your deductibles so the storm list is pre-sorted. Ask for it in spring.

Will you come out during the storm?

No one should be on a roof or in a flooded building during a named storm. We roll as soon as roads and conditions allow, existing accounts first.

Can you help with a FEMA-reimbursed public building?

Yes. Municipal and school buildings after a declared event use the same documentation package at documented rates, which is what reimbursement requires.

Do you replace storm-damaged rooftop units?

Yes, from diagnosis through crane set, with the condition report and photos your carrier needs to approve replacement over repair.

Before the Storm, Not After