If you’ve lived in Louisiana long enough, you know the drill. You watch the models. You check the cone. You argue with your neighbor about whether it’s really going to turn. And then, if you’re a contractor with equipment in the field, you start making decisions that can cost you thousands of dollars if you get them wrong.
We’re heading into the peak of the 2026 hurricane season right now. Forecasters are calling for a below-normal year, with 8 to 14 named storms and only 1 to 3 major hurricanes. That sounds like good news until you remember that it only takes one storm to make for a very bad season.
Louisiana contractors know that better than anyone. Here’s how to protect your equipment, your job site, and your timeline if something comes through.
Before the storm: the 48-hour checklist
Once a Hurricane Watch goes up, the clock starts. You’ve got about 48 hours to secure your job site before conditions deteriorate.
Get your equipment off low ground. If your job site is in a flood-prone area, and in south Louisiana most of them are, move machines to the highest accessible ground you can find. Excavators, dozers, skid steers, and loaders sitting in two feet of water after a storm surge is expensive damage that’s entirely preventable.
Secure anything that can become a projectile. Loose lumber, scaffolding, portable bathrooms, dumpsters, signage, fence screens. In 100-mph winds, a sheet of plywood is a missile. Stack it, strap it, or move it off site entirely.
Disconnect and protect electrical systems. Shut off power to the site. Move generators, compressors, and welding machines to covered storage if possible. If you can’t move them, cover them and elevate them above anticipated flood levels.
Top off fuel tanks and stage pumps. After a storm, fuel can be hard to find for days. And standing water on a job site doesn’t drain itself. Having pumps staged in excavations or low areas before the storm hits means you can start pumping the moment it’s safe to get back on site.
Document everything. Walk the site with your phone. Photograph every piece of equipment, every structure, every material stockpile. If you end up filing an insurance claim, this documentation is the difference between getting paid and getting argued with.
After the storm: getting back to work
This is the part that separates the contractors who lose two weeks from the ones who lose two days.
The first priority is safety. Downed power lines, unstable structures, standing water with hidden hazards. Walk the site carefully before you put anyone on a machine.
The second priority is your equipment. Check hydraulic lines, air filters, electrical connections, and engine compartments for water intrusion. If a machine was partially submerged, do not start it until it’s been inspected. Cranking an engine with water in the intake or contaminated hydraulic fluid can turn a repairable situation into a total loss.
This is where your dealer relationship matters more than it does on any normal workday. After a major storm, every contractor in the region is calling for the same thing at the same time. Service. Parts. Rental machines to replace damaged ones while repairs are underway. The dealers who have inventory on the ground and techs ready to roll are the ones whose customers get back to work first.
Have the conversation before the storm, not after
Crawler Supply Company has been on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge since 1971. Vice President Daniel Cloy and his team have been through every hurricane that’s hit this region in the last 55 years. They know what the post-storm rush looks like. Everybody calling at the same time for parts, service trucks, and rental machines to keep jobs moving while damaged equipment gets repaired. That’s the advantage of working with a local dealer. Crawler Supply stocks CASE Construction Equipment and maintains a rental fleet ready to deploy when you need a machine fast. Their parts and service department is stocked deep enough to handle the post-storm surge, and their service trucks come to your location, not the other way around.
Right now, before anything is spinning in the Gulf, is the time to have that conversation. Get your machines inspected. Talk to Daniel’s team about a maintenance check on the equipment that’s going to be sitting through storm season. Make sure you know who to call and what’s available when you need it. If you need a specific part, you can submit a request through their website.
Don’t wait for the cone to decide for you
The best time to prepare for a hurricane is before there’s a hurricane to prepare for. The people who scramble in the 24 hours before landfall are always the ones who lose the most. If you’re running equipment on a job site anywhere in the Capital Region, give Crawler Supply a call at (225) 357-7515 or stop by the shop on Airline Highway. Daniel and his team can help you put a plan together now so you’re not making decisions in a panic later.
They’ve been through it. They know what works. And they’ll be here for the next one too.
This is sponsored content presented by Crawler Supply Company. Located at 6413 Airline Hwy, Baton Rouge, LA 70805. Open Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Phone: (225) 357-7515. Toll-free: (888) 772-9505. Visit crawlersupply.com for equipment availability and to contact their team.
