Built toYour address's windFlorida code requires ASCE 7 wind design
Usual weak pointClamps and boltsWhat FEMA found after Irma and Maria
In a blackoutOff, without a batteryRequired so line crews stay safe
After a stormLook, don't touchDamaged panels can still be live

The short answer

Rooftop solar panels in Florida can come through hurricanes, and many do. Florida's building code requires rooftop systems to be designed for the wind loads at your location, using the same national standard, ASCE 7, that engineers use for the house itself. No system is hurricane-proof, though. When FEMA's engineers studied rooftop solar after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, the panels that came off mostly failed at the clamps and bolts holding them to the rails, not because the panels themselves broke.

Two more things surprise people. A standard grid-tied system shuts itself off during a power outage, so panels alone won't keep your lights on after a storm. And a damaged system can still produce electricity whenever light hits it, so the rule after a storm is to look from the ground and not touch. Summer thunderstorms bring a different risk; our guide to lightning and solar panels covers strikes and surges.

What Florida's building code requires

Florida builds to one statewide code, the Florida Building Code. Its 8th Edition, in effect since December 31, 2023, has three rules that matter most for rooftop solar:

  • Wind design. Rooftop-mounted solar systems must be designed for wind loads using ASCE 7, the national standard for wind on buildings (Florida Building Code, Residential, R905.17.1). The design wind speed depends on where the house sits, so a system near the coast is engineered for more wind than one inland.
  • Listed mounting hardware. Racking listed to UL 2703 must be installed according to the manufacturer's instructions and its listing (R324.3.1). Those instructions set details like how far apart the roof attachments go and how tight each bolt must be.
  • Installed as designed. Rooftop systems must be installed following the manufacturer's installation instructions (R905.17.3).

Miami-Dade and Broward counties go further. They sit in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, where solar installations need a site-specific wind-load calculation sealed by a licensed Florida engineer. Our South Florida guide explains how that works and why Palm Beach County is different.

Rooftop solar needs a building permit, and the permit plans are where the wind calculations show up. It's one more reason to walk away from anyone who offers to skip the permit.

How panels fail in a hurricane

The most detailed public look at rooftop solar in hurricanes comes from FEMA, which sent engineers to the U.S. Virgin Islands after Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and published a recovery advisory on what they found. The failures followed a pattern:

  • Panels came off at the clamps. At one home, every panel in the top row blew off and all of the panels detached from their rails. At most of the failed clamps, the nuts could be spun freely, a sign the hardware had worked loose.
  • Edges go first. The engineering guidance FEMA cites notes that the edges of an array flex more and are easier for wind to peel up than the middle.
  • Loose panels become debris. A panel that tears free can damage the roof it came from and the homes around it. National building standards don't require solar panels to resist windborne debris, so good attachment is the real defense.

FEMA's fixes are unglamorous: locking hardware on the clamp bolts, such as a stainless-steel lock nut with a nylon insert or double nuts, every bolted connection tightened with a calibrated torque wrench to the manufacturer's spec, and panels and racking listed to the right UL standards. The Rocky Mountain Institute's reviews of solar plants after the same storms point to the same causes: undersized and under-tightened bolts, no bolt-locking hardware and weak clamps.

Gloved hand tightening a solar racking bolt with a torque wrench on a Florida shingle roof
Most of the failures FEMA documented came down to hardware like this: clamps and bolts that worked loose, not panels that broke.

Will solar keep my lights on after a hurricane?

Not by itself. Florida's interconnection rule for investor-owned utilities such as FPL and Duke requires grid-tied systems to use equipment that automatically isolates the system from the grid when the grid loses power (Florida Public Service Commission Rule 25-6.065). Grid-tied inverters certified to UL 1741, the standard that rule names, are built to do this. It protects line crews working on lines they believe are dead. So when the power goes out, a panels-only system goes quiet too, even in full sun.

To keep power during an outage, you need a battery or a system designed to run the house safely on its own. Our battery backup guide covers what that costs and how long it runs.

You may have heard that Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered community northeast of Fort Myers, kept its lights on through Hurricane Ian in 2022. It did, as CNN reported, but its power and internet lines are buried and a large solar plant sits next to it. That's a grid built for storms, not something one rooftop system can do on its own.

Before hurricane season

  • Have the hardware checked. FEMA recommends checking the tightness of the array's bolted connections with a torque wrench every year and checking all of the panel clamps, and checking again before a storm if there's time. That's a job for your installer or a licensed solar contractor, not a homeowner on a ladder.
  • Know how to shut the system down. Ask your installer to show you, and follow their instructions if they tell you to shut it down before a storm.
  • Photograph the system. Clear photos of the panels and equipment make an insurance claim much easier.
  • Check your policy. Make sure your insurer knows about the panels, and know your hurricane deductible. Our insurance guide explains how panels are usually covered.
  • Leave the panels up. Taking an array down is a job for a licensed contractor and means disturbing the roof attachments, so it isn't a practical storm-prep step. A well-installed system is designed to stay on.

After the storm

  1. Look from the ground. Check for missing or shifted panels, hanging wires, and damaged conduit or equipment on the side of the house. Stay off the roof.
  2. Don't touch damaged equipment. Electrical safety guidance for first responders warns that solar panels can keep producing electricity in daylight even when the system is shut off, and that damage can energize metal parts. Treat any damage as live.
  3. Call your installer. If your installer has closed, our guide on what to do when a solar company goes under covers finding someone else to service the system.
  4. Document and report. Photograph the damage before anything is moved or repaired, then contact your insurer. For a leased system, contact the leasing company, which usually owns and insures the panels.
  5. Expect a restart delay. The system won't send power until the grid is back, and a technician may need to inspect it before it's switched back on.

If the storm damaged your roof badly enough that it needs replacing, the panels have to come off and go back on. Our roof guide covers what that costs.

Buying solar? Questions to ask about hurricanes

A good installer will answer these without hesitation:

  • What design wind speed was the system engineered for, and can I see the wind-load calculations in the permit plans?
  • Is the racking listed to UL 2703, and will it be installed exactly to the manufacturer's instructions, including the spacing between roof attachments?
  • How are panels near the roof edges and corners handled?
  • What locking hardware do you use on clamp bolts, and do you tighten every connection with a calibrated torque wrench?
  • Does your workmanship warranty cover loosened hardware and roof leaks, and for how long?
  • Is my roof in good enough shape to carry panels for the next 20-plus years?

Our guide to checking a solar company covers licenses, required disclosures and door-to-door red flags.

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Common questions

Can solar panels survive a hurricane in Florida?

Many do. Florida's building code requires rooftop solar to be designed for the wind loads at your address using ASCE 7, the national wind standard for buildings, and the racking has to be listed and installed to the manufacturer's instructions. No system is hurricane-proof, though. When FEMA studied rooftop solar after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, most panels that came off failed at loosened clamps and bolts, not because the panels broke.

Should I take my solar panels down before a hurricane?

No. Removing an array is a job for a licensed contractor and means disturbing the roof attachments, so it isn't a practical storm-prep step. A properly installed system is designed to stay on. Better preparation is having the hardware checked each year, knowing how to shut the system down, and photographing it for insurance.

Will my solar panels work during a power outage after a storm?

Not on their own. Florida's interconnection rule requires grid-tied systems to disconnect automatically when the grid loses power, which protects line crews working on the lines. A panels-only system goes quiet during an outage even in full sun. To keep power, you need a battery or a system designed to run safely on its own.

What part of a solar system usually fails in a hurricane?

The hardware. FEMA's engineers found that failed panels in the Virgin Islands mostly came off at the clamps holding them to the rails, and at most failed clamps the nuts could be spun freely. Array edges are also more vulnerable than the middle, because wind peels them up more easily. That's why locking nuts, correct torque and edge detailing matter.

Does homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage to solar panels?

Usually, for panels you own. Roof-mounted panels are typically covered under your dwelling coverage, the same as the roof, and a hurricane claim is subject to your hurricane deductible. Leased panels are usually insured by the leasing company, not your policy. Tell your insurer about the panels and check your hurricane deductible before the season.

What should I do if a storm damages my solar panels?

Look from the ground and don't touch anything. Panels can keep producing electricity in daylight even when the system is shut off, and damaged equipment can energize metal parts. Photograph the damage, call your installer or a licensed solar contractor, and contact your insurer, or the leasing company if the system is leased.

Are solar rules different in Miami-Dade and Broward?

Yes. Both counties are in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which has higher design wind speeds than the rest of Florida. Solar installations there need a site-specific wind-load calculation sealed by a licensed Florida engineer. Palm Beach County is not in the zone and follows the standard statewide requirements.

How often should the mounting hardware be checked?

FEMA's rooftop solar advisory recommends checking the tightness of the array's bolted connections with a torque wrench every year, checking all of the panel clamps, and checking again before a hurricane if there's time. Have your installer or a licensed solar contractor do it rather than climbing on the roof yourself.

This page is general information, not an engineering assessment of any specific system. Have a licensed installer or engineer inspect storm damage. Sources: FEMA recovery advisory USVI-RA5: rooftop solar panel attachment (2018) · Florida Building Commission: 2023 code effective date · FRSA: solar provisions in the 8th Edition Florida Building Code · Florida PSC Rule 25-6.065 · ESFI: photovoltaic safety · RMI: Solar Under Storm · CNN on Babcock Ranch and Hurricane Ian (2022)

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