Powerlift Foundation Repair‘s comprehensive guide on hurricanes and foundation safety aims to help homeowners stay safe during hurricanes while also protecting their home’s foundation. We’ve seen the kind of damage hurricanes can do under the surface (and the costly repairs that come with them), so we’re here with everything you need to know about protecting your home before, during, and after the storm.

What to Do If a Hurricane Damages Your Foundation

Once the strong winds have calmed down, the rain has stopped, and there are no more flying debris in the wind, we recommend checking for foundation damage so you get an idea of the potential repair costs (if any).

Hurricanes and Foundation Safety

1. Check for Visual Signs of Trouble

Start with the basics. Walk around the outside of your home and look for cracks in the foundation. Are they new? Are they bigger than they were before? Afterward, go to your interior rooms and look at the walls, floors, and ceilings. Some signs that something might’ve shifted underneath include doors that don’t close like they used to, windows that stick to the frame, and sloping floors.

2. Take Photos of Everything

Take clear pictures of every crack, gap, or spot that seems to have issues. That’s your record. It will help when you talk to your insurance company, or if a contractor needs a quick look at what’s going on.

3. Don’t Try to Patch It Yourself

YouTube has a video tutorial for everything, but damage to your home’s foundation due to powerful storms isn’t the kind of thing you want to tackle by yourself. A hairline crack might not seem like much, but patching over it without fixing the root cause can lead to further damage and make things worse later. This is a job for professionals who know how to check the soil, measure the shift, and properly improve the structure’s overall stability.

4. Call a Foundation Specialist

Reach out to someone who deals with storm-related damage often, like our crew at Powerlift Foundation Repair. We’ll do a thorough inspection after the hurricane, tell you our findings, and recommend the right, long-term fix for your specific foundation and soil type.

Proactive Ways to Protect Your Foundation

Hurricane-force winds and rain are unfortunately unstoppable. However, you can make your home tougher against the damage they bring. These steps aren’t foolproof, but they go a long way in keeping your foundation out of trouble.

1. Grade Your Yard Properly

Water should always flow away from your house. The soil around your foundation should slope downward so rainwater moves out and away instead of pooling near the slab or crawl space

2. Install a French Drain or Drain Tile System

If your yard tends to hold water after storms, talk to a contractor about drainage solutions like French drains or underground pipes. They help direct water away from your house and reduce pressure against the foundation walls.

3. Keep Your Gutters and Downspouts Working

Gutters that overflow send water straight down to your foundation. Make sure they’re clear of leaves, and that the downspouts extend at least 4-6 feet away from the house.

4. Waterproof Your Basement or Crawl Space

This can mean applying waterproof coatings, installing a sump pump, sealing foundation cracks, or even using vapor barriers. The goal is to keep water out before it has a chance to accumulate and cause water damage.

Safety Precautions Before, During, and After the Storm

Protecting your family and property from destructive forces like hurricanes starts with a solid plan. Hurricanes don’t always hit with much warning, so it helps to prepare ahead of time. Below, Powerlift Foundation Repair has prepared a combination of safety tips and proactive steps that property owners can take to protect their foundation:

1. Before the Storm

  • Check your home’s surroundings and clear any debris or items that can turn into flying hazards.
  • Make sure your gutters are clean so water can flow away from the house.
  • If you live in an area where flooding is common, consider adding sandbags or barriers around your foundation.
  • Store important documents in waterproof containers and make sure you know where your shutoff valves are (for gas, water, and power).
  • Make sure your cell phone is fully-charged, or that you have a way to charge your device if you ever need to (for example: a fully-charged power bank).
  • If local authorities advise you to evacuate, then do so right away.
gutters clogged with dry leaves

2. During the Storm

  • Make sure you’re in a safe place—a spot where the hurricane’s powerful forces can’t easily affect you.
  • Stay inside and away from windows.
  • Avoid going into the basement or crawl space during active flooding or high winds.
  • Unplug electronics and shut off power if it’s safe to do so.

3. After the Storm

  • If you were advised by local officials to evacuate, then wait for their confirmation that it’s safe for you to return home before doing so.
  • Be cautious when walking around the property. Floodwater can hide debris or sharp objects.
  • You might be tempted to clean up right away, but doing so when you’re not physically up to the task can increase the risk of medical issues like heart attacks and heat strokes. If you really need to clean up, make sure you do it without overexerting yourself.
  • Determine essential repairs that you’ll need to arrange.
  • If you’re dealing with urgent, catastrophic damage to your foundation and house, call for professional help immediately.

You can find plenty of other resources about hurricane safety online, including the American Red Cross’ Hurricane Preparedness Checklist.

How Hurricanes Affect Different Types of Foundations

Hurricanes can wreak havoc on all types of properties and cause all kinds of foundation issues. But how that damage shows up ultimately depends on the kind of foundation you have.

1. Slab-on-Grade Foundations

Slab foundations are built right on top of the soil with no crawl space underneath, so they’re usually low on the ground. That’s great for stability, but it can be vulnerable to flooding. Heavy rain during a hurricane can affect the soil conditions beneath the slab, leading to issues like soil erosion, foundation cracks, and foundation settlement. Even if you don’t notice it right away, the potential damage caused by hurricanes can build as time passes.

One thing to watch for: If water starts pooling around your house and doesn’t drain fast enough. You could end up with pressure against the slab that pushes it out of alignment.

slab-on-grade foundation (2)

2. Crawl Space Foundations

Properties with crawl spaces sit a little higher off the ground, which helps with ventilation and moisture control—at least under normal circumstances. But once a hurricane rolls through and dumps several inches of rain in a short amount of time, that crawl space can accumulate water.

The problem isn’t just the water level, either. It’s what the water does. It can soften the soil and cause the support piers to shift. If the wood beams under your house soak up moisture, they can start to rot, sag, or twist. That leads to creaky, uneven floors, water damage, and in serious cases, compromised structural integrity wherein parts of the house can sink.

Additionally, if you get mold down there, that can also cause a host of other problems. Mold growth happens fast in dark, damp crawl spaces, and once it gets into your air ducts, you’re breathing it in.

crawl space foundation

3. Basement Foundations

If your home has a basement, you’ve got another set of things to think about during hurricane season, especially if the hurricane brings storm surges and torrential rain with it. Basements are magnets for water, and if you’re not careful, you might end up with foundation problems.

Once the soil around your basement gets waterlogged, the pressure on the walls builds up. That’s how you end up with bowing walls, leaks, or cracks that widen as time passes. It’s important to check your basement and sump pump (if applicable) after heavy rainfall and other natural disasters.

basement foundation

Commonly Asked Questions About Hurricanes and Foundation Safety

Even if it doesn’t hit hurricane wind speeds, a tropical storm can still deliver massive amounts of rain in a short amount of time, and that’s usually where the trouble starts for your foundation. Water saturation around the base of your home can cause soil to shift, settle, or wash away. If that pressure builds up unevenly or sits too long, it can compromise your foundation.

Storm surge is a sudden rise in sea level pushed inland by strong hurricane winds. It tends to affect coastal areas more than inland towns, but if you’re anywhere near a river or large body of water, the effects can still reach you. The main issue with storm surge is the sheer force and volume of water, as it can flood areas that usually don’t flood, leaving standing water for hours or even days, which puts pressure on your foundation. Regular rainfall, while still a concern, usually causes damage over a longer period of time.

As soon as it’s safe to go outside, you can walk around your home and check for visible signs of trouble (e.g., cracks in the concrete, gaps between bricks, bulging basement walls, signs of soil erosion). The sooner you determine a problem, the easier it is to address it. That said, some damage doesn’t show up right away. So, it’s a smart idea to schedule a professional foundation inspection after a big storm, especially if you noticed flooding around your home.

Flooding is one of the most common ways foundations get damaged during a hurricane or heavy storm. When the soil around your home becomes saturated, it can expand or become unstable. That puts pressure on the foundation walls and can lead to cracking or shifting. And if the water starts seeping into crawl spaces or basements, it can weaken the structure from the inside out. Even slab foundations, which don’t have basements, can be affected if the water undermines the soil support underneath.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a potential issue that many people don’t know about. After a hurricane knocks out power, many people turn to portable generators for backup. If those generators are placed near the foundation (especially near crawl space vents, basement windows, or HVAC inlets), carbon monoxide can leak inside and build up. This invisible gas is deadly and can sneak in without you knowing. That’s why it’s crucial to never run a generator in or near an enclosed space. If your foundation has cracks or vents near the ground, it’s easier for carbon monoxide to slip inside.

Reach Out Before Small Problems Get Bigger

If your home took a hit from a hurricane, or you’ve noticed signs that something’s not quite right underneath, reach out to Powerlift Foundation Repair to learn about our residential and commercial foundation repair. We can help prevent water damage, repair existing foundation issues, or improve your foundation’s overall protection.

Give us a call at 1-800-562-5438 or get a free quote!