Why Storm‑Hardening Matters
Between June 1 and November 30, the Southeast’s power grid walks a tightrope. Gulf moisture, 90 °F heat indexes, and Category‑3 wind gusts can arrive with just a few days’ notice. For gas peakers, biomass plants, combined‑cycle units, and battery‑storage sites, a single day of unplanned outage during a summer peak can cost hundreds of thousands in lost revenue or penalties. The good news: most storm‑related failures trace back to preventable mechanical issues—loose rooftop equipment, corroded flood seals, or missing spares. Use the checklist below to turn hurricane season into a planned, documented maintenance event rather than a mad scramble after landfall.
Pre‑Season Mechanical Checklist
| # | Action Item | Why It Matters | Pro Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchor & Torque‑Check Rooftop Equipment Cooling‑tower fan stacks, fin‑fan coolers, HVAC units |
100 mph gusts can shear bolts or vibrate housings loose, causing blade strikes and water ingress. | Use a calibrated torque wrench and color‑code inspected bolts with weather‑resistant paint so auditors know they’re current. |
| 2 | Inspect & Replace Door/Panel Gaskets Switchgear and MCC rooms |
Wind‑driven rain salts bus bars, triggering flashovers. | Swap EPDM gaskets that show cracking or compression set; add drip shields over older doors. |
| 3 | Verify Sump Pumps & Flood Barriers | Storm surge or flash flooding can put 18–24 inches of water on grade. | Test float switches under load; keep a spare pump and check valve on site. |
| 4 | Stage Critical Spares & Rigging Gear Bearings, belts, motor starters, sling sets |
Post‑storm roads may be impassable for 48 hours. | Store indoors above predicted flood level; preload rigging slings for rapid rotor swaps. |
| 5 | Clean & Coat Corroded Surfaces | Salt spray accelerates pitting on carbon‑steel piping, fan guards, and handrails. | Apply a surface‑tolerant epoxy; log location and batch # for future touch‑ups. |
| 6 | Conduct Infrared (IR) & Ultrasound Surveys | Heat buildup reveals misalignment or bearing wear that storms can push over the edge. | Tag “watch‑list” assets and plan change‑outs during the next shoulder‑season outage. |
| 7 | Test Backup Generators & ATS | Utility feed may drop for days. | Perform a full‑load test; verify fuel quality and day‑tank alarms. |
| 8 | Update Contact Lists & Mutual‑Aid Agreements | Minutes count when you need outside labor or cranes. | Keep cell numbers, sat‑phone lines, and staging locations in a cloud‑based doc accessible offline. |
Week‑of‑Landfall Actions
- Secure Loose Items: Remove ladders, pallets, and scrap metal that can become airborne.
- Lower Liquid Levels: Drain non‑critical tanks to reduce spill risk.
- Isolate Non‑Essential Circuits: Prevent back‑feed when grid power flickers.
- Brief the Crew: Hold a 15‑minute toolbox talk covering evacuation routes, PPE, and muster points.
Post‑Storm Restart Protocol
- Visual Walk‑Down Before Re‑Energizing: Check for standing water, displaced insulation, and foreign objects.
- Megger & Insulation Resistance Tests: Moisture sneaks into motor windings—verify resistance meets OEM spec.
- Lubrication Checks: Floodwater dilutes greases and oils; sample and replace if water content > 0.3 %.
- Document Everything: Photos, IR images, and work orders support insurance claims and SERC reliability audits.
Building a Culture of Storm Readiness
Preventive maintenance is only as strong as the habits behind it. Schedule quarterly refreshers on torque tools, gasket materials, and flood‑barrier deployment. Pair millwrights with instrumentation techs during IR surveys so knowledge crosses craft lines. Finally, keep a live, version‑controlled checklist that management can review—nothing motivates budget approval for new gaskets like seeing last year’s storm damage price tag.
Next Steps
Hurricane prep isn’t a one‑week sprint; it’s a repeatable framework that dovetails with your regular preventive‑maintenance cycle. If you need a partner who can handle torque programs, flood‑barrier installations, or 24/7 rigging callouts, explore our full scope of services on the Mechanical Contractors for Energy Providers page—and keep your megawatts flowing, whatever the forecast.
Our team is here to help.
Contact a project manager today!