Hurricane Season Prep: What to Pressure Wash (and Unclog) Before the Next Storm

Quick Answer: Peak hurricane season runs mid-August through October, so if these are not done yet they are overdue. Three exterior-cleaning tasks, in this order: (1) get gutters and downspouts fully cleared — a clogged gutter in a tropical downpour dumps water against your fascia and foundation; (2) clean algae off walkways, drives, and pool decks — wet algae is the slip hazard you’ll be walking on while carrying shutters; (3) soft wash the roof if it’s due — post-storm insurance and inspection photos go a lot better on a roof that doesn’t look neglected. None of this stops a hurricane. All of it changes what the water does when one arrives.

Tampa Bay’s hurricane checklist usually starts with water bottles and ends with shutters. The exterior of the house is prep too — here’s the cleaning half, prioritized by what actually matters when 10 inches of rain arrives sideways.

1. Gutters first — this one’s structural

Pinellas and Pasco counties take 50+ inches of rain a year, concentrated June through September. A gutter full of oak debris doesn’t slow that water down — it redirects it: over the back edge into fascia and soffit, down the wall, and into the ground right at your foundation.

Our gutter cleaning includes hand debris removal and a pressure flush of every downspout — and it’s 25% off added to any roof or house wash. If you do nothing else on this list before the next named storm, do this. (What it costs.)

2. Walkways, drives, and pool decks — the slip hazard you’ll be using

Storm prep means you, in the rain, carrying panels and furniture across your walkways. Algae film that’s merely ugly on a dry day is genuinely dangerous wet. A driveway and walkway clean isn’t cosmetic — it’s the difference between grippy concrete and a green slide.

3. The roof — for after the storm, not during it

A soft wash doesn’t make a roof more windproof, and we won’t pretend otherwise. What it changes is what the photos say afterward. Post-storm, everyone’s roof gets looked at — by adjusters, by aerial imagery, by inspectors. A roof black with algae reads as neglected even when it’s sound, and that framing hurts you in every post-storm conversation. If your roof is due on its 2–3 year cycle, getting it done between storms is the smart slot — and you get before/after photos and a written service record for the file.

What about after a storm?

Wind-driven debris, mud lines, and organic staining wash off. If a storm leaves your exterior wearing the yard, our storm damage cleanup page covers how we handle it — and the honest note applies here too: cleaning is for surfaces, not repairs. Damage goes to your roofer and your adjuster first.

Book between storms, not after one: get your instant quote — bundle gutters + driveway + roof and 10% comes off everything, automatically. Same-week scheduling across all 12 Tampa Bay cities.