Winter Storm Prep Checklist for Inland Empire and OC Foothill Homes

Storms in this part of Southern California don't build gradually — they arrive as fast-moving systems that can dump more rain in 24 hours than the rest of the month combined. Homes across the Inland Empire and North Orange County foothills, from Chino Hills to Brea to the San Bernardino County valley communities, deal with the same seasonal pattern: long dry stretches followed by short, intense storms. The homes that come through those storms clean are almost always the ones that spent an afternoon on prep beforehand. Here's the checklist, system by system.

None of this requires special tools or a contractor visit for most homes. It's an afternoon of looking closely at the systems that already exist on your property — roof, gutters, drains, and shutoff — and fixing the small things before a storm turns them into big ones. Work through each section below in order, and keep notes on anything that needs a follow-up repair before the season's first significant rain.

Roof and Attic

• Walk the roofline (or have a pro do it) and look for lifted, cracked, or missing shingles — these are the entry points for wind-driven rain
• Check flashing around chimneys, vents, and skylights, where roofing meets a penetration and leaks most often start
• Look in the attic on a dry day for water stains, dark spots on sheathing, or daylight showing through the roof deck
• Trim back tree limbs overhanging the roof — a falling branch during a windstorm is a common cause of sudden roof breaches

Gutters and Downspouts

• Clear leaves, granules, and debris out of every gutter run before the first storm — a clogged gutter sends water over the edge and straight down the exterior wall or foundation
• Confirm downspouts are securely attached and extend at least several feet from the foundation, not dumping water right against it
• Check gutter brackets and fascia for sagging or rot, a sign water has been overflowing for a while already
• Add gutter guards if leaf debris from nearby trees is a recurring problem

Yard Drainage and Grading

• Flush area drains and yard drains to confirm water actually flows through them and out to the street or drainage system
• Check that the ground slopes away from your foundation on all sides — settled soil next to a foundation is one of the most common causes of water finding its way into a garage or ground floor
• Clear storm drains and curb inlets near your property of leaves and debris where it's safe and legal to do so
• If you're on a hillside lot, check retaining wall weep holes for blockages before the season starts

Sump Pumps and Crawl Spaces

• Test any existing sump pump by pouring water into the pit and confirming it activates and drains properly
• Check the battery backup if your sump pump has one — a power outage during a storm is exactly when you need it most
• Inspect crawl space vents and vapor barriers for damage, and clear anything blocking crawl space drainage
• If your crawl space has flooded before, this is the year to talk to a professional about a permanent fix rather than repeating the cleanup

Doors, Windows, and Weatherstripping

• Check weatherstripping around exterior doors and replace anything cracked, compressed, or gapping
• Inspect window seals and caulking, especially on walls that take direct wind-driven rain
• Confirm door thresholds still seal tightly against the floor — a worn threshold lets wind-driven water seep in during sideways rain
• Keep towels and a shop vac accessible for minor seepage so it doesn't sit and soak into flooring overnight

Know Your Shutoff and Build a Basic Storm Kit

This isn't storm-specific, but storm season is a good forcing function to finally do it: locate your home's main water shutoff valve, confirm it turns freely, and make sure everyone in the household knows where it is. A valve that's seized from years of never being touched is a bad discovery in the middle of an emergency — if yours is stiff, a plumber can free or replace it in minutes now, long before you'd ever need it under pressure.

While you're at it, put together a small storm kit and keep it somewhere accessible:

• A few sandbags or water-diversion barriers if you're on a known runoff path or hillside lot
• A battery-powered flashlight and a portable phone charger for power outages
• A tarp and duct tape sized to cover a roof section temporarily if wind damage happens overnight
• The number for a 24/7 restoration crew saved in your phone, so you're not searching for one while water is spreading

When Prep Wasn't Enough

Even a well-prepared home can take on water in an unusually intense storm — that's the nature of a season this concentrated. If wind opens your roof or water gets into a living space, speed matters more than anything else at that point. Our storm damage cleanup team handles emergency tarping, extraction, and drying 24/7 across San Bernardino County and the surrounding foothill communities.

Work through this list before the season's first real storm, and keep (201) 277-9344 saved in your phone for the nights when prep alone isn't enough.