Preparing for a hurricane means building a supply kit, protecting your home, securing important documents, and having a plan for your household, including pets. Most of this work should happen well before a storm is forecast, since critical steps like buying flood insurance have waiting periods that make last-minute action useless. Here’s what to do, broken down by priority.
Water, Food, and Basic Supplies
Water is the single most important supply. Store one gallon per person per day, and plan for several days’ worth at minimum. A family of four needs at least 12 gallons just for a three-day stretch, and hurricanes can knock out municipal water for much longer. If you run out of stored water, you can disinfect tap or collected water with regular unscented household bleach: 8 drops per gallon for 6% bleach, or 6 drops per gallon for 8.25% bleach. Double that amount if the water looks cloudy or colored.
For food, stock at least several days of non-perishable items that don’t require cooking or refrigeration: canned goods (with a manual can opener), peanut butter, crackers, dried fruit, granola bars, and nuts. If the power goes out, your refrigerator keeps food safe for about 4 hours as long as you keep the door closed. A full freezer holds a safe temperature for roughly 48 hours, or 24 hours if it’s only half full. Anything above 40°F for more than two hours should be thrown out.
Round out your kit with a battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio, flashlights, extra batteries, a first aid kit, a whistle, dust masks, plastic sheeting, duct tape, moist towelettes, garbage bags, and basic tools like a wrench and pliers.
Medications and Medical Supplies
If you take daily medications, aim to keep at least a 30-day backup supply on hand during hurricane season. A 60 to 90-day supply is even better, since pharmacies may be closed or inaccessible for weeks after a major storm. Talk to your insurance provider about filling prescriptions early if you’re in a hurricane-prone area.
Temperature-sensitive medications like insulin need special planning. Your refrigerator will only stay cold for 12 to 24 hours without power. After that, one practical trick: place the medication in a sealed plastic bag and store it in your toilet tank (not the bowl). The water in the tank stays 15 to 20 degrees cooler than room temperature, which can buy you extra time. If you rely on powered medical equipment like a CPAP or oxygen concentrator, a backup battery or small generator becomes essential rather than optional.
Protecting Your Home
Windows are the most vulnerable part of your home during a hurricane. If you live in a hurricane-prone region, permanent shutters are worth the investment. Rolling shutters handle winds above 150 mph and deploy quickly. Accordion shutters are rated for 140 to 160 mph and fold out from tracks on either side of the window. Bahama shutters, which tilt outward like an awning, protect against 100 to 130 mph winds and work well for lower-category storms. If you don’t have permanent shutters, pre-cut plywood panels sized to each window are a budget alternative, but they take time to install, so measure and label them before the season starts.
Beyond windows, clear your yard of anything that becomes a projectile in high winds: patio furniture, potted plants, grills, trampolines, and loose tools. Trim dead branches from trees near your home. Make sure your garage door is reinforced, since garage doors are a common failure point that lets wind pressure into the structure. Check that your roof is in good condition and that gutters are clear.
Generator Safety
Portable generators restore some normalcy after a storm, but they produce carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that kills. Never run a generator indoors, in a garage, or in any enclosed space. Place it outside with at least 3 to 4 feet of clear space on all sides and above it, and keep it away from doors, windows, and vents where exhaust could drift back inside.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, headaches, nausea, and unusual tiredness. If anyone in your household develops these symptoms while a generator is running, get to fresh air immediately. Carbon monoxide poisoning is one of the leading causes of death after hurricanes, and nearly every case is preventable.
Documents and Financial Records
Flooding and wind damage can destroy paperwork that takes months to replace. Before hurricane season, gather the following and store paper copies in a fireproof, waterproof safe or box:
- Identity documents: birth certificates, marriage or divorce certificates, passports, Social Security cards, driver’s licenses, military IDs, green cards
- Financial records: mortgage or lease agreements, vehicle titles and registration, bank and retirement account information, credit card details, tax returns
- Insurance policies: homeowners or renters, auto, life, flood, along with appraisals and photo inventories of valuables
- Medical information: health and dental insurance cards, medication lists, prescriptions, immunization records, living wills, medical power of attorney
- Estate planning: wills, trusts, power of attorney documents
Also store electronic copies on a password-protected flash drive kept in the same waterproof container, or upload them to a secure cloud service. If you have important items stored in a basement, move them to a higher floor before the storm.
Insurance You Need Before the Storm
Standard homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage. If your home is in a flood-prone area, or even if it’s not (since roughly 25% of flood claims come from low-risk zones), you need a separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer. The critical detail: flood insurance policies have a 30-day waiting period from the date of purchase before coverage kicks in. You cannot buy a policy when a storm is days away and expect it to cover anything. Buy it during the calm months.
Before hurricane season, walk through your home and take a video inventory of your belongings, room by room. Open closets, cabinets, and drawers. This documentation makes the claims process dramatically faster and helps you recover fair value for what’s lost.
Preparing for Pets
Many public emergency shelters do not accept animals, and the ones that do require specific paperwork. Pack a pet emergency kit that includes an appropriately sized carrier with a blanket or towel for bedding, enough food and water for several days, any medications, and a leash or harness.
For documents, you’ll need photocopies of veterinary records, a current rabies certificate, vaccination records, prescriptions, and proof of ownership or adoption. Dogs need a recent heartworm test result; cats need recent FeLV/FIV test results. Include a written physical description of each pet (breed, sex, color, weight), recent photos, and your microchip number with the company’s contact information. Store all of this in a waterproof container. If shelters can’t verify vaccinations, they may turn your pet away, so this paperwork isn’t optional.
Your Evacuation Plan
Know your evacuation zone before a storm is announced. Your county emergency management office publishes zone maps, and many areas have online tools where you enter your address. Identify at least two evacuation routes in case one is flooded or gridlocked, and agree on a meeting point if your family gets separated.
Fill your vehicle’s gas tank when a hurricane watch is issued. Gas stations lose power quickly once a storm hits, and demand spikes as soon as evacuations are ordered. Keep cash in small bills, since ATMs and card readers go down with the power. Charge all phones and portable battery packs to 100%.
If you plan to stay with friends or family outside the storm’s path, confirm the arrangement early. If you’re heading to a public shelter, bring your own bedding, supplies, and medications. Shelters provide a roof and basic safety, not comfort. Pack your supply kit, documents, and medications in waterproof bags or bins that you can load into the car quickly when the order comes.