Gulf Coast Hurricane Season Prep Checklist for Foundations and Drainage

Hurricanes test every weak point a home has. On the Gulf Coast the two biggest risks to your structure are moving water and shifting soils.

Both can settle slabs, tilt walls, crack driveways, and send water under or into the house. The good news is that most of the damage that shows up after a storm starts with small issues you can find and fix before the season gets busy.

Use this homeowner-friendly checklist to walk your property, tighten up drainage, and harden the parts of your foundation that take the first hit. When something looks past DIY, we point to the right professional fix so you know where to turn.

Start outside: move water away from the house

Walk the full perimeter right after a rain if you can. You are looking for where water gathers, how long it sits, and which way it flows.

Check roof runoff. Gutters should be clean, pitched to the downspouts, and connected to extensions that carry water across grade. Splash blocks help, but piping extensions under the first few feet of soil keep water from dumping at the footer. If your yard is flat or the lot is low, consider a simple yard system that carries roof water to day-light. If pooling keeps returning near the foundation, talk with Drainage Solutions about French drains, catch basins, and buried lines sized for Gulf rain.

Look at grading. Soil should fall away from the foundation for at least the first ten feet. Low pockets against the wall feed hydrostatic pressure during long storms. Bring in clean fill, compact it gently, then re-sod so the grade stays put. If your home sits at the bottom of a slope, a swale can grab hillside water and send it around the house to a safe discharge. When soil continues to creep back toward the wall, the section may need a curb or a small Retaining Wall Addition to hold the line.

Seal flatwork joints. Driveways, walks, patios, and pool decks collect runoff. Open joints let that water travel under the slab and wash out support soils. Clean the gaps and seal them with a flexible concrete joint sealant. If panels have already dropped or tilted, get them back to plane with Concrete Leveling so water stops following new low points.

Mind the edges. Thin slabs at porches and steps are common washout spots. A small curb or grade beam holds the outside edge in place. Where heavy use or vehicles are involved, ask whether the area needs a thicker repair panel or pinned reinforcement, especially near a downspout or corner.

Protect below grade spaces from persistent moisture

Flood water is obvious. What lingers after a storm is the long, humid wet that feeds mold and corrosion.

Crawl spaces. Look for standing water, damp insulation, musty air, and water lines on piers. Fix the outside path first. Once drainage is under control, seal the ground and wall leaks that keep humidity high. A sealed system with heavy liner, sealed vents, and a small dehumidifier creates dry air that protects wood framing. If the crawl stays damp even with better grading, consider Crawl Space Solutions that include vapor barrier and controlled drying.

Basement and stem wall slabs. Water that finds a path through cracks will do it again during the next storm. Map every crack. Small hairline cracks can be cleaned and sealed. Active or wet cracks point to movement or pressure that needs attention. If the wall is taking on water at seams or tie holes, exterior sealing and routing are better than interior cosmetic fixes. A full plan looks at surfaces, seams, and the soil path that feeds the leak. When your wall needs a full barrier system, or when the site needs controlled discharge, take a look at Foundation Waterproofing.

Shore up structural weak points before the wind arrives

Most hurricane foundation problems are not dramatic failures. They are small sections that move because water stole support or because the load is greater than the soil can carry.

Corners and step-downs. Garage steps, porch corners, and room additions often sit on different soils or thinner footers. If you see step cracks or separations, fix the water first, then re-support the moving section. Where soils are soft or layered, engineered piles can take the load down to competent material. For targeted structural help that installs cleanly, ask about Helical Piers.

Erosion and scour at seawalls. Gulf lots that face canals or open water can lose soil during high water and wind. Look for voids behind caps, settling pavers, or cracks that follow the wall. Stabilize soils, re-set hardscape, and seal joints to keep water from taking the same path next storm. For wall repairs, cap fixes, or tie-back work, see Sea Wall Repair.

Pool decks and screen rooms. 

These areas see fast washout when deck drains clog or where downspouts dump. If panels drop after heavy rain, lift them early. Re-establish support with Concrete Leveling and reroute water so the fix lasts. For recurring settlement near the beam, check for plumbing leaks as well.

Know your early warning signs

You do not need to be a builder to spot trouble. Walk outside after a storm and again once things have dried.

Exterior cracks. Diagonal cracks that climb from window or door corners, stair-step cracks in block, and horizontal cracks in stem walls are red flags. Map them with a pencil and a date. If the pattern grows or the wall bows, schedule an evaluation. For a quick guide on what each crack likely means, see Wall Cracks.

Interior floor changes. Tiles that pop, ridges you can feel, and doors that rub are often the first signs of movement after heavy rain. These can be slab washout, plumbing leaks, or perimeter settlement. Our Floor Cracks page explains how to read the symptoms and choose next steps.

Concrete surface issues. Spalling, scaling, and new pits or pop-outs are common after standing water. Surface repairs are fine when the slab is stable. If the area keeps crumbling or keeps cracking, test support soils and movement before you resurface. For surface breakage at patios or walks, see Concrete Cracks.

A room-by-room hurricane season prep walk

Set aside an hour and move inside to outside in a simple loop.

Inside the living areas. Open and close every exterior door. If one sticks after a heavy rain, mark it. Lay a long level or even a marble on floors where you suspect a change. Note any ridge lines that were not there last season. These quick checks help you compare season to season.

Garage and utilities. Look for rusted anchor bolts, dark lines on the slab near the wall, and water trails at the base of the water heater or softener. Confirm that downspouts do not empty at inside garage corners. If the garage slab slopes toward the house, add a small trench drain to catch water before it crosses the threshold. If the slab sinks where car tires stop, a quick Concrete Leveling visit brings it back to grade and keeps water from pooling.

Porches and entries. These are wind-driven rain magnets. Check for soft sealant at the threshold and for settled pavers that steer water toward the door. Reset panels, re-caulk, and check that the first course of siding or stucco has a clean drip edge.

Yard and edges. Find the lowest point on your lot. That is where water will sit after a long storm. If it is near the house, add capture and discharge with Drainage Solutions. Keep mulch pulled back from the wall so the top of your footer breathes. Trim shrubs so you can see the stem wall all the way around.

Plan fixes in the right order so repairs last

It is tempting to jump to the visible crack or the settled panel first. Lasting repairs follow a simple order.

Route the water. Until water has a controlled path away from the foundation, other fixes fight the symptom. Start with gutters, downspout extensions, grading, and capture systems sized for your roof area. Where soils are sandy and fast draining, fabric-wrapped drains help keep systems clear. Where clay pockets hold water, deeper trenching to daylight may be needed.

Stabilize the support. Once water is controlled, bring slabs and panels back to plane. Concrete Leveling fills voids and reduces flex that creates new cracks. If a section carries more load than the soil can support, transfer that load with Helical Piers placed at the points that move.

Seal the envelope. After structure and support are right, seal cracks and joints, then apply protective coatings where needed. If ground moisture still drives humidity into the crawl or basement, finish the job with Foundation Waterproofing or Crawl Space Solutions to keep the system dry.

Address special risks. Live on a canal or near open water. Make a quick pass along your wall or cap before the season. Fill voids, re-set pavers, and seal joints so wind water does not pull soils through gaps. For structural wall issues at the water, call on Sea Wall Repair early, not after a storm.

What to do when you see settlement after a storm

Even with good prep, some homes will move after a long rain and wind event. Here is how to respond.

Document. Take date-stamped photos of new cracks, settled areas, and standing water. Put a piece of tape at the end of a crack so you can see if it grows.

Rule out plumbing leaks. If one room shows a fast new ridge or if a panel near a bathroom sinks quickly, test for hidden leaks. A plumbing repair plus Concrete Leveling often resolves the issue.

Evaluate structure. Exterior diagonal or stair-step cracks that keep opening point to load movement. When soils are soft or layered, selective underpinning with Helical Piers can transfer weight to stable strata and lock the section in place.

Finish with moisture control. Once structure is steady, close the pathways that let water return. Tune grading, seal joints, add capture where needed, and finish wet zones with Drainage Solutions. That is how you keep a one-time repair from becoming a yearly project.

What a professional inspection includes

A good inspection starts with a short interview about what you noticed and when. Expect exterior and interior measurements, a look at roof runoff paths, and a quick test of slab slopes.

Soil type and lot shape matter on the Gulf Coast, so we map those as well. If movement is tied to a specific load point, we locate pier spots. If movement follows water, we design a drainage correction that fits the site and ties into existing features.

At the end you should have a clear scope in plain language.

It should list steps, sequence, materials, and what to expect during each phase. Most homeowners combine water routing, Concrete Leveling, and selective Foundation Repair so the whole system works together.

A quick pre-storm weekend plan

You can do a lot in a single weekend before the first big system aims at the Gulf.

Clean the gutters, extend every downspout, re-seal the driveway joints that feed water under panels, and add a short swale where water heads for the wall. Walk the interior and mark any crack ends so you have a baseline.

If your crawl space smells damp, set a small fan and plan a full fix with Crawl Space Solutions after the season passes. If you already see settlement or repeating puddles near the house, schedule a visit so your repair is ready before the peak.

The bottom line for Gulf Coast foundations

Hurricanes are a water and soil problem as much as a wind problem. Homes that do well manage roof runoff, move ground water away cleanly, and keep support soils in place. When movement does show up, small, targeted structural fixes and smart water control stop the cycle.

If you want help building a plan that fits your property, we are here for it. We walk the site, explain the why behind each step, and handle the work in the right order so your home is ready for the next season, not just the next storm. lets mark your hurricane season checklist