Do solar panels work in hurricanes?

Solar panels work in ordinary weather. A hurricane is not ordinary weather. Modules are glass and aluminum bolted to a roof. If the roof fails, the array fails with it. Code-compliant racking is designed for a stated wind speed. It is not a promise that every storm will leave the house untouched.

Design wind speed is local

The Florida Building Code sets wind-design requirements that are higher on exposed coasts than inland. Miami-Dade is not Tallahassee. An installer should show the design speed used on the drawings for your address. A generic national racking sheet is not that drawing.

The same idea applies, at different speeds, in coastal Texas, coastal Carolina, and coastal Virginia. Inland hail belts have a different failure mode. Do not import a hurricane detail onto a Dallas roof or a hail detail onto a Miami roof without looking.

What still works after the storm

A grid-tied system without a battery shuts off when the grid is down, so it does not energize a damaged line. Backup is a separate design. A battery does not hold modules on the roof. See batteries.

Insurance is a before-you-sign question

Some Florida insurers already treat the roof as the sensitive part of the policy. Adding an array gives them another document to ask for. Ask your carrier what they want on file before you pay a deposit. The companion guide on solar and home insurance in Florida stays on that point. We are not an insurer and we do not claim that solar lowers a premium.