Last Updated on October 23, 2025
During storm season, there is no such thing as preparing for hurricanes too much.
Each year organizations like FEMA, state and local governments, as well as emergency management officials, provide guides and resources detailing what you need to do to ensure your safety before, during and after a storm arrives.
While there are many resources available, there’s one aspect to hurricane prep that many of them leave out: equipment.
Protecting a facility from severe weather takes a lot of equipment. If you’re unaware of everything you’ll need, you could be left scrambling at the last minute. Read on to find out what types of equipment rentals you may need before hurricane season strikes.
Preparing for Hurricanes: It’s Different with a Business
When it comes to deadly storms like hurricanes, personal safety comes first. After gathering food, water and medical supplies, there are several things you can do to protect your business.
Preparation means more than boarding up windows and moving equipment to secure locations. You also need a well-practiced hurricane plan that improves your ability to mitigate the impact on your business.
Things to Include in a Business Hurricane Plan:
- How to Handle Important Documents: Store deeds, leases, insurance policies, passports, medical information and other papers safely. This likely means in a fireproof, waterproof container. You may also want to store electronic copies on an external drive or website.
- Roles and Responsibilities: Create procedures for what to do in the event of a hurricane and make sure everyone knows their assigned role.
- Communication Strategy: Know how to contact employees or their emergency contacts if essential workers have to ride out the storm at work. Make sure personnel know how to contact utility providers and other support services, even if the power is out.
- Backup Supplies: Hurricanes may knock out local power, internet and global positioning systems (GPS). Make sure your business is equipped with easily accessible supplies. These items can include maps, battery-powered lights, radios, cell phones, matches and a portable generator with fuel.
- Equipment Rental Strategy: Equipment like generators may not be part of your day-to-day operation, meaning you may need to rent equipment. Find a reliable equipment rental provider early to secure equipment at the best rates.
After the Storm: Disaster Relief Considerations
Anyone who has been through a hurricane knows recovery speed is unpredictable. After a storm strikes, the desire to immediately assess damage to your business or jobsite kicks in.
Waiting for safer conditions can often be a challenge. While one business may have a damaged roof, flooding or more, their competitor down the street may barely have damage. Add in the fact some locations may get power restored days ahead of another nearby location, and you’re left to ask yourself, “Can I really afford to wait?”
Before you get to work, you must make sure it is safe. Check that utilities are off and structures are not in danger of collapse. Also, do not enter flood waters – there could be hidden dangers like harmful bacteria or open manholes. Once the water recedes, you can decide your next steps.
Even if you get away with minimal damage, you will probably need to do flood remediation and restoration. Either you will need the right equipment to do it yourself, or you need to wait for overworked crews to get to your site.
Rent to Save and React Quickly: Finding a Reliable Equipment Provider
If your business is like most, you won’t need disaster relief equipment regularly, so spending thousands to buy tools and heavy equipment doesn’t make sense. Yet you still need the right equipment available to react quickly.
Renting equipment is often the most cost-effective option, but only if you partner with a reliable provider with the following traits.
- Hurricane Experience: A reliable rental company will have a climate and remediation expert review your site and hurricane preparedness plan and offer effective solutions. This peace of mind can go a long way toward negating any additional last-minute stress as a storm approaches and eliminate any frantic search for equipment that’s in high demand.
- Multiple Locations and Large Inventory: In addition to hurricane experience, look for a rental company that has multiple locations and a large fleet. During hurricane season, many businesses will be looking to rent the same equipment at the same time. Rental providers with multiple locations can bring in extra equipment from across the country.
- Convenient Services: Lastly, choose a provider that can offer other essential services ahead of the storm, such as safety training and equipment delivery. You have enough to worry about, you don’t need to be trying to read an instruction manual by flashlight in a storm.
- Learn More: How to Choose an Equipment Rental Provider
Now that you know what precautions to take before and after a storm as well as the benefits of partnering with a reliable rental company, you also need to know what equipment to rent.
10 Types of Equipment You May Need
Renting the right gear will save you money in both the short- and long-term. In the short-term, renting is more affordable. There’s a good possibility you’ll only ever use this equipment once or twice. And, if your business or jobsite is impacted by the storm, the longer you wait for the restoration process to begin, the more costly the repairs will be due to the spread of mold. So, mold removal equipment is an essential part of any hurricane plan.
Exactly which types of equipment you’ll need hinges on a variety of factors, including the type and size of your business or site, if power is available, and how much property damage there is.
When making a hurricane preparedness plan, consider including the following types of equipment. These solutions can help your business recover more quickly and safely.
Fuel Tanks
When the power is out, so are gas station pumps. If there is a gas station open in the area, the line for fuel could be backed up for miles. If you’ll need gas for your fleet, generator or other equipment, you can keep work moving by renting fuel tanks. Fuel tanks are capable of storing thousands of gallons at your fingertips.
Portable Battery Power
With multiple AC power outlets and eight USB ports, portable battery power boxes are weather resistant and can power anything from radios and televisions to computers and cell phones. Some can even power light towers, allowing you to work at night or in cloudy conditions.
Portable Light Towers
If you need to repair damage after sunset or increase security to a business or jobsite, portable light towers are essential to add to your equipment rental list. Depending on the model, these lights can be gas-powered, diesel-powered, electric or solar-powered.
Generators
Generators are vital to hurricane recovery. They can power everything from small refrigerators to an entire office building, pharmacy, hospital, nursing home, evacuation center or other large facility and jobsite. Ask your equipment rental provider for help assessing your power-generation needs to determine if you need a portable, towable or skid-mounted generator.
Climate Control Equipment
A hurricane’s high winds or floodwaters can damage air conditioning units. Maintaining a cool, comfortable interior climate is essential in pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, computer rooms and factories where equipment can overheat. Climate control equipment like portable air conditioning units ensure you’re protecting patients, products and equipment until your permanent unit is repaired or replaced.
Pumps
Flood or storm surges can fill up basements and ground floors quickly. Renting a pump or other water diversion equipment will help remove water fast.
Dehumidifiers
In addition to pumps, desiccant dehumidifiers are key pieces of equipment to have on hand if your building has suffered water damage. Dehumidifiers are designed to remove moisture from the air, thereby preventing corrosion, mold and mildew formation.
Debris Removal Supplies
Outdoor clean-up can be extensive, ranging from downed trees to damaged roofs and piles of heavy mud and debris. Equipment that can help make the effort easier includes chainsaws, conveyors, backpack blowers, woodchippers and earthmoving equipment.
Drying Equipment
Fans and blowers work alongside other equipment like dehumidifiers and air scrubbers to make your site dry and clean again. Drying your site quickly is an essential part of mold removal.
Air-Quality Control
Devices like air scrubbers are another vital piece of mold removal and disaster remediation. Built to remove particles from the air, the scrubbers’ filtration system removes mold spores. Mold spores often become airborne during the restoration process.
The bottom line is you need to think carefully about your business and location. What would happen if a major storm hit your area? Will you wait your turn to be rescued and then wait again for equipment to repair and restore your property? If you prepare early and work with a high-quality equipment rental provider now, you’ll be better able to protect business and get back to operations as usual faster.
We Know Hurricanes: Protect Your Business with Equipment from Herc Rentals
If you have a business on the coast, you know that preparing for hurricanes is not optional. With hundreds of locations throughout North America, including hurricane-prone areas, Herc Rentals has the inventory and expertise you need. Not only that, we have the ability to get it to you quickly.
Each of our local branches are stocked with gear that can help you prepare for, and recover from, any storm the ocean throws your way. From emergency power generators to mold remediation equipment rentals, we know what it takes, and we have it all.
Explore our extensive inventory of equipment rental solutions. Or, call us today at 1-800-432-6215 for expert assistance with your hurricane preparedness planning.
