Before the season
June through November, your locks are part of storm prep: verify every exterior door throws its deadbolt smoothly (swollen doors fail during humid stretches), lubricate cylinders with dry PTFE, and make sure shutters, gates, and generator sheds have working, non-seized padlocks — found out at midnight before landfall is the wrong time.
Evacuation key discipline
If you evacuate: every door and window locked, keys with you plus one set with a trusted local contact, keypad codes current for whoever checks the property after. Photograph doors and hardware before leaving — it simplifies both insurance and 're-entry questions later.
After the storm
Storm-swollen doors and debris-strained frames create a wave of 'my key won't turn' calls after every system passes. Don't force a binding lock into a snapped key — a strike adjustment is a small fix, a snapped key in a warped door during a power outage is a bad evening.
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Niceville Security Buzz — independent local guidance for Niceville, FL. Questions a guide can't answer? Call (850) 616-0882.