Whether you’re leasing one RV or a fleet of motor homes, you — and your customers — must be prepared for the unexpected. In the summertime (and beyond), particularly in coastal areas, that means you need to take into account hurricane season and its associated risks. With today’s sophisticated forecasting capabilities, the public usually has plenty of warning in advance of a storm, but are you ready? Most RVs can only withstand winds up to about 50 mph, so when the going gets tough, RV owners should get going.

Scientists at Colorado State University are predicting this year’s storms to be slightly above average. For this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 – Nov. 30, the forecast is for 14 named storms. Half of those are predicted to strengthen into hurricanes, and three are predicted to reach a Category 3 or higher. Tip: Advise customers not to ride out a Category 3 storm or above in an RV. Instead, they should secure the rig as best they can (which includes emptying the holding tanks, turning off propane cylinders and covering the regulator) and head for the nearest shelter.

Just as the meteorologists keep tabs on hurricanes, you’ll want to put them on your personal radar. In short, you should keep your eye on the eye of the storm. Make sure your know the destination of your renters and contact them if there are hurricane warnings. In terms of insurance, RV owners should make sure their policy covers hurricanes.

Have a plan of action ready PRIOR to the threat of a hurricane or severe weather.

• Start putting your Emergency Preparedness Plan into effect as soon as you become aware that the storm is headed your way. Today’s prediction abilities usually give several days advance notice of the most likely areas to be hit.
• If you are in a flood-prone area, make sure your plan includes getting your vehicles to higher ground.
• With heavy rains, make sure the placement of your vehicles is on solid ground so they don’t get mired down in mud.
• If you are in a hail-prone area, is there a covered area to place your vehicles?  Or can you cover the vehicle in a way to minimize damage? Example: cover windshields or areas that are vulnerable to breakage.
• Hurricanes produce high winds. Get the vehicles out of harm’s way of potential flying debris, trees or unstable objects that may become a damaging projectile. If your vehicle is an RV (motorized or towable) make sure all slide outs and awnings are pulled in and all stabilizer jacks are down to help avoid overturning.
• Take steps to make sure none of your active rentals or reservations for that time period is headed for the hurricane zone.
• Make sure you have additional drivers/tow vehicles available to help you enact your protection plan.

Remember, you need to protect your assets, but this should be done well in advance of the storm hitting. Then you have time to take care of your personal wellbeing.