Hurricane Prep for Golf Cart Owners: Storing, Charging, and Protecting Your Cart

The Short Version

For an electric golf cart, hurricane prep comes down to keeping it dry, keeping the battery safe, and keeping the paperwork ready. If you have a gas-powered cart, the storage, flooding, insurance, and after-storm steps still apply. Here is the checklist in brief:

• Before the season (June 1): photograph your cart and its serial number, review your insurance, sign up for county alerts, and check your charger and cords.
• When a storm is forecast: charge the cart while power is on, then unplug it. Park it in a garage or on higher ground, and bring in loose items like covers and seat cushions.
• During the storm: stay off the cart. Never run a generator in the garage where the cart is stored.
• If it flooded: don't charge it or drive it. Unplug it and, if you can do so safely, move it outside, away from buildings, and have it inspected.
• After the storm: check for battery warning signs, look for downed power lines and standing water, and test the brakes and lights before you drive.

Before Hurricane Season: Get Your Cart Ready

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and the National Weather Service says the best time to prepare is before it starts (National Hurricane Center; weather.gov). Lake County Emergency Management notes that the peak runs from mid-August to late October (Lake County).

A few things to do while skies are clear:

• Document your cart. Take photos of the cart from all sides, plus the serial number, battery label, and any add-ons such as an enclosure, lift kit, or upgraded seats. Keep copies of receipts. Ready.gov recommends keeping insurance policies and important documents up to date and stored securely (Ready.gov).
• Review your coverage. See the insurance questions below. Ask now, not when a storm is forecast.
• Know your zone. Look up your address on the state's Know Your Zone map, and on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center for flood risk.
• Sign up for alerts. Each county has its own emergency alert system. See the county table below.
• Inspect your charger and cords. Replace damaged cords and plugs. Follow your cart manufacturer's instructions for charging and battery care.
• Plan your parking spot. Decide now where the cart will go when a storm comes: a garage, or the highest, most protected spot on your property.

When a Storm Is Forecast: Storing Your Cart

The safest place for a golf cart in a hurricane is usually inside a closed garage, away from low spots where water collects. The National Hurricane Center issues hurricane watches 48 hours before it expects tropical storm force winds, and hurricane warnings 36 hours ahead, because it may not be safe to prepare once the winds arrive (weather.gov). Use the watch as your cue to put the cart away.

• Garage first. If you share the garage with a car, make room before the storm, not during it.
• Pick higher ground. If you don't have a garage, park the cart in the highest, most sheltered spot you can, away from trees, low areas, and drainage swales.
• Bring in loose items. Ready.gov recommends bringing in outside furniture before a hurricane (Ready.gov). For a cart, that means removable seat cushions, bags, coolers, and any cover or enclosure that could tear loose and blow around.
• Set it and secure it. Set the parking brake, turn the cart off, and take the key out.
• Don't plan to evacuate by cart. Golf carts are limited to designated roads, and to daylight hours unless local rules allow night driving and the cart has the required lights (Florida Golf Cart Rules Explained). Use a car if you need to leave.
• Manufactured homes. Lake County Emergency Management says people in manufactured homes or low-lying areas should always shelter in a safe, site-built structure during a hurricane (Lake County). Plan for yourself first. The cart can be replaced.

Charging Safely: Lithium-Ion vs. Lead-Acid Batteries

Charge the cart while the power is on, then unplug it before the storm arrives. Ready.gov advises disconnecting electronics during power outages because power can come back with surges that cause damage (Ready.gov). Golf carts run on either lithium-ion or lead-acid batteries. Check your manual or battery label to see which you have, because the safety points differ a little:

Sources: U.S. Fire Administration, Battery Fire Safety; OSHA 1910.178(g), changing and charging storage batteries; Florida DEP post-storm EV battery guidance.

Generators. Ready.gov says to use a generator only outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning (Ready.gov). Never run one inside a garage, even with the door open. Before you charge a cart from a generator, check your cart and generator manuals to see whether that is allowed.

Heat matters too. The U.S. Fire Administration says not to leave lithium-ion batteries in direct sunlight or in hot cars, and to store them at room temperature when possible (USFA). A closed garage without power in a Florida summer can get hot, so watch for warning signs after a long outage.

Flooding: Don't Drive Through Water, and Treat a Flooded Cart With Care

Never drive a golf cart into flood water, and never charge or drive a cart that has been sitting in it.

On the road. The National Weather Service says 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult, and 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars (weather.gov, Turn Around Don't Drown). A golf cart is lighter and lower than a car. Ready.gov also warns that underground or downed power lines can electrically charge standing water (Ready.gov).

If your cart was flooded. After Hurricane Helene in 2024, Florida's Chief Financial Officer and State Fire Marshal warned that saltwater flooding makes electric vehicles a fire threat, and named golf carts in that warning. The advice was to unplug the vehicle and move it safely away from your home into a clear, open space (Florida Office of Insurance Regulation consumer alert, October 2024). Florida's Department of Environmental Protection adds that submersion in water, especially saltwater, can damage electrical components, and that a damaged battery may not show signs right away (Florida DEP). Its guidance for flooded electric vehicles:

• Don't try to charge or drive it.
• Stay away from it as much as you can. Smoke or strange noises can be signs of battery damage.
• Don't store it indoors or near structures. DEP recommends 50 feet between vehicles with damaged lithium batteries.
• Have it towed and inspected by a qualified technician before using it again.
• If it can't be moved safely, call emergency responders.

Central Florida is inland, so flooding here is usually from rain rather than saltwater storm surge. But the same caution applies to any cart that has been sitting in water. When in doubt, have it checked.

Insurance Questions to Ask

Ask your insurance agent how your golf cart is covered before a storm, and get the answers in writing. Florida doesn't set an insurance requirement for golf carts the way it does for registered vehicles, because golf carts can't be titled or registered. A low-speed vehicle (LSV) is different: it must be registered and carry at least $10,000 in personal injury protection and $10,000 in property damage liability (FLHSMV; FLHSMV insurance requirements).

Flood insurance may not help. The National Flood Insurance Program's coverage summary lists most self-propelled vehicles, such as cars, among items flood insurance doesn't cover (NFIP Summary of Coverage). New NFIP policies also generally take 30 days to start (FloodSmart).

Questions to ask your agent:

1. Is my golf cart covered under my homeowners policy, or do I need a separate golf cart or LSV policy?
2. Does the policy cover wind, flood, falling trees, and fire damage to the cart?
3. Is coverage different when the cart is in my garage, on my driveway, or on a community road?
4. Are batteries, chargers, and add-ons such as enclosures and lift kits covered, and up to what value?
5. Does my hurricane deductible apply to the cart? The Florida Department of Financial Services explains how hurricane deductibles work on its Hurricane Ready page.
6. What photos and documents will you need if I file a claim?

After a storm, Ready.gov recommends documenting property damage with photographs and contacting your insurance company (Ready.gov).

After the Storm: Checks Before You Drive

Wait for local officials to say it is safe to go out, then inspect the cart before you take it anywhere.

• Look before you touch. If the cart sat in water, or the battery area is hot, smoking, swollen, or smells odd, don't touch it, plug it in, or start it. Follow the flooding steps above.
• Check the battery. For lithium-ion, watch for odor, color change, heat, swelling, leaking, or odd noises (USFA). For lead-acid, look for leaks, corrosion, and cracked cases.
• Check the cart. Test the brakes, steering, tires, mirror, and lights. Florida law requires working brakes, reliable steering, safe tires, a rearview mirror, and reflectors on carts used on public roads (Florida Golf Cart Rules Explained).
• Check your route. Paths, tunnels, and low crossings can hold water or debris after a storm. Stay out of standing water, and stay far away from downed power lines.
• Plug in only when it is safe. Charge only a dry, undamaged cart, on a dry, undamaged outlet and cord. If your garage flooded, have the outlet checked first.
• Remember the rules still apply. Golf cart road and hours rules don't change after a storm.

County Emergency Management: Lake, Sumter, and Marion

Your county emergency management office is the official source for evacuation orders, shelters, and local updates. Sign up for your county's alerts before a storm.

Lake County lists its public shelters, including pet-friendly and special needs shelters, on its preparedness page. The Marion County Sheriff's Office lists shelter locations, sandbag locations, and a special needs program on its emergency management page. For an emergency, call 911.

Statewide and National Resources

These official sites cover forecasts, evacuation zones, and preparation steps for everyone in Florida.

• NOAA National Hurricane Center: official tropical forecasts, watches, and warnings at nhc.noaa.gov.
• National Weather Service local offices: Lake County is covered by NWS Melbourne, Sumter County by NWS Tampa Bay, and Marion County by NWS Jacksonville.
• Florida Division of Emergency Management: FloridaDisaster.org, including Know Your Zone and Plan and Prepare.
• Ready.gov: Hurricanes and Power Outages.
• Florida Department of Financial Services: Hurricane Ready insurance and recovery information.
• FEMA flood maps and flood insurance: Flood Map Service Center and FloodSmart.

New to the area? Our sister site Active Adult Florida has a moving checklist that covers hurricanes, insurance, and other first steps for newcomers. To learn how carts fit into daily life, read Living by Golf Cart in Central Florida.