Hurricane season just ended but Gator Engineering experts are already focusing on the 2009 season and how homeowners can and should prepare.

Judging by the latest hurricane forecasts for 2009, you might want to add upgrading your roof and checking the strength of your garage door to your list of New Year’s resolutions.

Kurt Gurley, a UF associate professor of civil and coastal engineering who conducts research on home vulnerability during hurricanes, said Florida homeowners should take advantage of the six months before hurricane season to evaluate their homes, especially if the houses are at least 15 or 20 years old.

“Essentially, the rule of thumb, which is not always exact, is the older the home that you live in, the more likely it is that you’re going to want to have some kind of evaluation performed,” Gurley said. 

Florida residents may have even more reason than usual to be concerned after hurricane forecasters at Colorado State University predicted 14 named storms in the 2009 season, including seven hurricanes—three of them major. 

Hurricane season starts June 1 and runs until Nov. 30.

The 2008 season saw above-average activity, with 16 named storms and eight hurricanes.

Gurley said Florida homeowners should consider redoing their roofs if their homes have old shingles. You should also check the braces on your garage door and the connections between your roof and the walls, he said.

If your roof needs re-shingling, consider asking the contractor to also install a secondary water barrier on the seams below the shingles, Gurley added. That way, even if the shingles do come off in a hurricane, the extra barrier will help keep water from seeping into your home, he said.

He suggested visiting the Web sites of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes, a non-profit organization, and the Institute for Business and Home Safety for more tips on evaluating your home.

In the long term, Gurley said, he and other researchers are looking into how Florida’s building codes could be changed to ensure that newer homes are as safe as possible for hurricane season. 

He said research teams at UF are working with the home-building industry and the Florida Building Commission, which recommends changes to the state’s building code, to determine the most cost-effective improvements to home building in Florida.

“It’s pretty easy on paper to design a hurricane-proof home, but it’s going to cost a lot of money if the sky’s the limit,” he said.