Builders Across the Southeast Mobilize After Historic Hurricanes

The effect of Hurricanes Helene and Milton on the Southeast has been devastating, with projections indicating the combined damages of the storms totaling tens of billions of dollars.

Helene affected many markets that were not typically prone to storm damage in Florida’s Big Bend region, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Milton meant more bad news for Florida, with significant damage in the Orlando, Tampa, Lakeland, Sarasota, and Daytona Beach areas.

For home builders with operations across the Southeast, including PulteGroup, Taylor Morrison, Mattamy Homes, and Landsea Homes, efforts to minimize the storm damage included preparing and securing job sites and maintaining constant communication with trade partners, employees, and homeowners. The builders also quickly mobilized following the storms to assess damage and aid in the recovery.

Ryan Marshall, CEO of PulteGroup, which operates in several markets across Florida, said on the company’s third-quarter earnings call that job sites were shut down three to four days before the storms and three to four days after landfall for cleanup.

Mattamy Homes, with operations in Florida and North Carolina, postponed all lumber, truss, and shingle deliveries and concrete pours ahead of the storm. Additionally, a representative told BUILDER that Mattamy Homes secured all windows and doors at homes under construction, and storm sewer protections were optimized so water could drain from the streets quickly. All production was shut down well in advance of landfall.

Taylor Morrison Florida area president Steve Kempton says sales offices and job sites were shut down three days before the storms. Efforts focused on securing job sites, closing amenities, pulling stormwater inlet protection, topping fuel tanks, securing silt fences and loose materials, shutting down irrigation pumps, and communicating with team members and residents.

“Traditionally with hurricane preparedness, affected divisions have resources coming from non-impacted markets to help,” Kempton tells BUILDER. “However, as the entire state of Florida was impacted with Hurricane Milton, it was a unique event and the tenacity of our teams as they pulled off an incredible amount of preparation work in just 1.5 business days was especially impressive.”

Storm Aftermath

Ensuring the safety of team members, trade partners, and homeowners was a top priority for builders. Mattamy Homes said the company was grateful that its team members were safe following Helene and Milton, and its operations “were spared any significant impacts.”

“In both storms, most of the damage was environmental, including debris, fencing, light posts, or trees,” a representative for Mattamy Homes said.

Kempton says Taylor Morrison’s communities could withstand the impact of wind and rain with minimal damage.

“[We] required several days for cleanup and recovery, resulting in nearly two weeks’ worth of disruptions,” Kempton says. “Most notably, the excess water had the greatest impact on land under development. Following the storms, and with all of Taylor Morrison’s business operations fully resumed, we have been assessing damage across our Florida communities and scheduling post-storm repairs.”

For PulteGroup, Marshall said new construction standards, drainage systems, and the “quality that we’ve built to” contributed to minimal damage for homes actively under construction and recently closed homes in storm-affected regions across Florida. In addition to the lost time due to shutdowns before and after the hurricanes, Marshall said the biggest hurdle for the company has been restoring power.

“Especially with Milton, the power outages were really widespread in Florida, especially in the Tampa and Southwest Florida areas. Power crews are focused on bringing the power grids back online,” Marshall said during Pulte’s earnings call.

Power was also a big focus for Landsea Homes, with operations in central Florida in areas surrounding Orlando, St. Cloud, and Melbourne.

“Fortunately, power was restored to all our communities by [Oct. 14],” says Megan Bakel, vice president of sales and marketing for the Florida division of Landsea Homes. “While some areas in the state faced greater challenges, we supported the broader recovery efforts through our contributions to the Greater Orlando Builders Association, which aids those in need.”

Recovery Efforts

PulteGroup quickly mobilized to support employees and communities in affected areas. Marshall joined a volunteer-led supply caravan that delivered essential items like generators, fuel, and water to affected divisions.

“It just reminds me why our company is the greatest company in the world to work for. And it’s evident that our guiding principle of team-first mentality is alive and well,” Marshall said.

Taylor Morrison team members collected and delivered supplies to assist with cleanup in Sarasota and provided other necessities, such as water and paper towels, for affected individuals.

“Divisions that did not experience much damage, such as Jacksonville, helped with recovery efforts, and some team members even drove to impacted areas to help fellow teammates,” Kempton says. “Our Atlanta and Jacksonville divisions also stockpiled generators and other supplies and delivered them to Sarasota the day after Hurricane Milton.”

Mattamy Homes announced after Hurricane Helene that it would double any donation its team members made to help support the work being done by the American Red Cross, the Florida Disaster Fund, and the North Carolina Community Foundation Disaster Fund. Mattamy’s Raleigh division contributed $10,000 to the North Carolina Home Builders Association—which raised over $320,000 for hurricane relief and recovery efforts—while organizing a necessities drive with a local site contractor.

Mattamy Homes, in partnership with its Wellen Park community, is also hosting a concert on Nov. 1, raising money for the Florida Disaster Fund. Mattamy Homes and Wellen Park will match every donation up to $5,000.

Pulte and Taylor Morrison have also utilized employee support funds to help affected team members. PulteGroup’s Employee Emergency Assistance Fund has helped more than 300 employees. Taylor Morrison’s TM Care Fund allows team members to receive $2,000 up to three times throughout their career.

Mattamy Homes and Taylor Morrison said the lessons learned from Hurricanes Helene and Milton will be used to evolve hurricane preparedness and recovery efforts for future storms.

“We strive to strengthen our hurricane preparedness protocols with every storm and will look to Milton and Helene as another learning opportunity to improve our strategy going forward,” Kempton says.