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Hurricanes can disrupt far more than the coastline. High winds, storm surge, torrential rain, inland flooding, tornadoes, extended power outages, blocked roads, damaged homes, and interrupted water service can affect communities hundreds of miles from where a storm first comes ashore.
Good hurricane preparedness means making important decisions before conditions deteriorate. Know whether you may need to evacuate, prepare your home, protect your emergency water supply, keep your vehicle ready, and have enough supplies to function when power and normal services are unavailable.
The goal isn’t to predict exactly what a hurricane will do. It’s to give yourself options before the storm removes them.
Understand the Hurricane Hazards
A hurricane is a tropical cyclone with sustained winds of at least 74 mph, but wind speed alone doesn’t tell you everything about the danger a particular storm may create.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale classifies hurricanes from Category 1 through Category 5 based on sustained wind speed. That category describes the wind hazard—it does not directly measure storm surge, rainfall, or inland flooding.
Depending on the storm and your location, the major threats can include:
- Destructive winds
- Storm surge
- Coastal flooding
- Heavy rainfall
- Flash flooding
- River flooding
- Tornadoes
- Falling trees and flying debris
- Extended power outages
- Damaged or blocked roads
This is one reason people well inland shouldn’t automatically dismiss a hurricane simply because they don’t live directly on the coast.
For a detailed breakdown of storm surge, inland flooding, high winds, rip currents, and tornadoes, see the National Hurricane Center’s Hurricane Hazards guide.
Hurricane Watch vs. Hurricane Warning
Knowing the difference matters because the time available to prepare can disappear quickly.
A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the specified area. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected.
Don’t wait for hurricane-force winds to arrive before finishing preparations. Tropical-storm-force winds can arrive earlier and make driving, outdoor preparation, and evacuation increasingly dangerous.
When a storm threatens your area, monitor official forecasts frequently because the expected track, intensity, rainfall, surge, and warnings can change.
Know Your Evacuation Zone Before Hurricane Season
If you live in a hurricane-prone area, find out whether your home is located in a designated evacuation or storm-surge zone before a storm threatens.
Also consider risks specific to your home.
Ask yourself:
- Is the property vulnerable to storm surge?
- Is it in a flood-prone area?
- Is it a mobile or manufactured home?
- Could surrounding trees threaten the structure?
- Is there only one practical road out?
- Does anyone in the household rely on powered medical equipment?
- Would you need assistance evacuating pets or family members?
Knowing these answers ahead of time makes evacuation decisions much easier.
When local authorities issue an evacuation order for your area, follow their instructions. Trying to leave after conditions become dangerous can expose you to flooding, falling debris, traffic congestion, and roads that are no longer passable.
For a more complete approach to evacuation routes, destinations, transportation, communication, and deciding when to leave, see our guide, Bugging Out: How to Build an Emergency Evacuation Plan.
Build Your Hurricane Emergency Supplies Before a Storm Is Approaching
Waiting until a hurricane is several days away can mean crowded stores, fuel lines, and missing supplies.
Build your basic emergency inventory during normal conditions and check it before hurricane season.
A practical hurricane kit should include:
- Drinking water
- Shelf-stable food
- Manual can opener
- Prescription medications
- First-aid supplies
- Flashlights or headlamps
- Spare batteries
- Emergency radio
- Phone charging equipment
- Hygiene and sanitation supplies
- Rain gear
- Sturdy shoes
- Work gloves
- Copies of important documents
- Cash in small denominations
- Pet supplies
- Infant or senior-care supplies when needed
Keep essential supplies somewhere you can reach quickly if you must evacuate.
If you’re building your emergency supplies from scratch, start with Start Here: Your 72-Hour Preparedness Plan for a practical foundation covering water, food, lighting, communication, medical needs, and other essentials.
Store Emergency Water Before the Hurricane
Water deserves special attention because a hurricane can interrupt municipal water service, damage private wells, or result in boil-water or other drinking-water advisories.
Keep an emergency supply of drinking water before the storm arrives.
If a hurricane is approaching and you have additional storage containers, fill them while the water supply is still operating normally.
An ordinary bathtub can hold water for flushing toilets, washing, and other sanitation needs. But an exposed bathtub isn’t an ideal container for storing drinking water.
A purpose-built food-grade bathtub water bladder provides another option for storing a much larger quantity of emergency water while keeping it enclosed.
The waterBOB Bathtub Emergency Water Storage Bladder is designed to turn a standard bathtub into an enclosed emergency water-storage container and can hold up to 100 gallons.
If you use any emergency water-storage product, follow the manufacturer’s directions for filling, dispensing, storage, and intended use.
Have More Than One Way to Receive Hurricane Information
Internet service and cellular networks can become unreliable during major storms.
Don’t make your phone your only source of emergency information.
Have several options available, such as:
- Wireless Emergency Alerts
- Local emergency-management alerts
- Local radio
- Television while service remains available
- Official National Weather Service information
- NOAA Weather Radio
A battery-powered or hand-crank emergency radio provides another way to receive information when household power is unavailable.
The Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather Radio provides NOAA weather alerts along with AM/FM radio, giving you a dedicated backup source for weather and emergency information during a hurricane or power outage.
Charge phones, battery banks, rechargeable lights, and other essential electronics before conditions deteriorate.
Prepare Your Home Before the Wind Arrives
Hurricane home preparation should begin while conditions are still safe enough to work outside.
Bring in or secure objects that could become airborne, including:
- Patio furniture
- Trash cans
- Planters
- Outdoor decorations
- Tools
- Children’s toys
- Lightweight grills and accessories
- Loose yard equipment
Use properly installed hurricane shutters where available. If your hurricane plan involves protecting windows with plywood, determine the correct materials and installation method for your home ahead of time rather than improvising as the storm approaches.
Clear gutters and drains if it is safe to do so.
Charge tools and batteries.
Move important documents and valuable items away from areas vulnerable to water intrusion.
Photograph or video the condition of your property and major belongings for your records before the storm.
Keep Temporary Repair Materials Available
Even a home that remains structurally sound can suffer roof, window, siding, or water damage.
A heavy-duty tarp can be useful for temporary weather protection after the storm has passed and only when conditions are safe enough to make repairs.
The GUARD SHIELD Heavy Duty Tarp is a 12 × 16-foot waterproof tarp that can be kept with hurricane supplies for temporary covering and weather protection after storm damage.
Utility cordage can also be useful for securing emergency coverings, bundling materials, organizing supplies, and handling temporary repairs.
TECEUM 550 Paracord Type III is a compact utility cord worth keeping with tarps and other temporary repair supplies for securing coverings, tying down materials, and general storm cleanup tasks.
Don’t attempt roof repairs or exterior work while high winds, lightning, flooding, or other dangerous conditions are present. Temporary repairs aren’t worth an injury.
Prepare Your Vehicle for Evacuation
If evacuation becomes necessary, your vehicle may suddenly become one of your most important pieces of emergency equipment.
Before the storm:
- Keep the fuel tank well above empty
- Check tire pressure
- Check fluids
- Make sure the spare tire is usable
- Keep charging cables in the vehicle
- Carry drinking water
- Keep basic emergency supplies aboard
- Have paper or offline maps available
- Know more than one evacuation route
Don’t assume your normal route will remain open. Flooding, fallen trees, crashes, construction, bridge closures, or emergency operations can force significant detours.
For a more complete vehicle-readiness plan covering maintenance, fuel, recovery gear, emergency supplies, navigation, and evacuation travel, see our guide, Bug-Out Vehicle Guide: How to Prepare Your Vehicle for an Emergency.
If you don’t have reliable transportation, make evacuation arrangements before the storm arrives rather than waiting until an evacuation order is issued.
Decide Early: Evacuate or Shelter in Place?
One of the biggest hurricane decisions is whether to leave or remain home.
That decision should be based on official evacuation instructions and the actual hazards affecting your location—not simply the hurricane’s category.
If you’re told to evacuate, leave as directed.
If you’re not in an evacuation area and local officials advise residents to shelter in place, finish preparations before conditions deteriorate.
Waiting too long can leave you attempting to travel when winds are increasing and roads are already flooding.
If You Evacuate
Take the supplies you would have difficulty replacing quickly.
That can include:
- Identification
- Insurance information
- Medications
- Phones and chargers
- Emergency contacts
- Drinking water
- Food
- Clothing
- Hygiene supplies
- Pet food and carriers
- Essential medical equipment
- Cash
- Important documents
Tell someone outside the affected area where you’re going when practical.
Keep family members together when possible and have a backup meeting location in case you’re separated.
Never drive around barricades or deliberately enter a flooded roadway.
For more detailed guidance on flooded roads, rapidly rising water, getting to higher ground, and what to do after flooding, see our guide, Flash Flood Survival: What to Do Before, During and After a Flash Flood.
If You Shelter at Home During the Hurricane
Stay indoors and away from windows, skylights, and glass doors.
Choose an interior room or other safer area appropriate for your home and local hazard guidance.
Keep emergency supplies nearby rather than scattered throughout the house.
Have sturdy shoes available in case broken glass or debris enters the home.
Keep phones charged while power remains available.
Use flashlights and battery-powered lighting if electricity fails rather than relying on open flames.
A hands-free option such as the Energizer Universal LED Headlamp can be especially useful during an outage when you’re moving around a dark home, checking supplies, or dealing with storm-related problems.
Continue monitoring official information throughout the storm.
Don’t Be Fooled by the Eye of the Hurricane
Conditions can sometimes become dramatically calmer as the eye of a hurricane passes over an area.
That doesn’t mean the storm is over.
Dangerous winds can return quickly from a different direction as the opposite side of the hurricane arrives.
Stay sheltered until officials indicate that hazardous conditions have passed.
Prepare for a Hurricane Power Outage
Power outages may last hours or days depending on the severity of the storm and damage to the electrical system.
Before the storm, think about what depends on electricity in your household:
- Refrigeration
- Medical equipment
- Phones
- Internet equipment
- Lighting
- Cooking
- Well pumps
- Garage doors
- Heating or cooling
Portable power stations can keep smaller essential electronics operating without running a gasoline engine indoors.
For households wanting substantially more backup capacity, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station provides 1070Wh of capacity with up to 1500W output for keeping compatible essential devices powered during an outage.
For a deeper look at handling the first two days of an outage, including lighting, refrigeration, communications, water, and household safety, see 48 Hours Without Power: What Actually Happens When the Grid Goes Down.
Generator Safety Is Critical
Portable generators can be useful during extended outages, but they create carbon monoxide.
Never operate a portable generator inside a home, garage, basement, shed, or other enclosed space.
Generator exhaust must also be kept away from windows, doors, and vents. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and current safety guidance for placement and operation.
Have working carbon-monoxide detectors in the home.
For additional guidance on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning during power outages, see the CDC’s generator and carbon monoxide safety guidance.
Avoid Floodwater During and After the Hurricane
Flooding can remain dangerous long after the strongest winds have passed.
Never assume water covering a road is shallow or safe to cross.
Floodwater can hide:
- Washed-out pavement
- Open drainage systems
- Sharp debris
- Chemicals
- Sewage
- Unstable ground
- Downed electrical lines
Don’t drive through flooded roads.
Avoid walking through floodwater whenever possible.
Hurricane rainfall can also cause dangerous flooding far inland, including areas that experienced relatively little wind damage.
After the Hurricane: Don’t Rush Outside
The end of the rain doesn’t necessarily mean the danger has ended.
Continue monitoring local emergency information and wait until authorities say conditions are safe.
Outside hazards can include:
- Downed power lines
- Unstable trees and branches
- Broken glass
- Damaged buildings
- Floodwater
- Gas leaks
- Displaced wildlife
- Nails and sharp debris
Treat every downed power line as dangerous.
Don’t enter a severely damaged building until it has been determined safe to enter.
Protect Yourself During Cleanup
Post-hurricane cleanup causes its own injuries.
Wear sturdy footwear, long pants, eye protection when appropriate, and durable work gloves when handling debris.
A pair of HANDLANDY Work Gloves can provide basic hand protection when moving branches, handling storm debris, or performing general cleanup around the property.
Don’t attempt work beyond your abilities, particularly electrical repairs, major structural work, tree removal near power lines, or repairs requiring you to climb onto an unstable or wet roof.
Take photographs of damage before major cleanup or temporary repairs when it is safe to do so. Keep receipts and records related to emergency repairs and damaged property for potential insurance claims.
Make Sure Your Water Is Safe
Don’t automatically assume tap water is unsafe after every hurricane—but don’t assume it’s safe either.
Follow instructions from your local water utility, health department, and emergency officials.
If a boil-water or do-not-drink advisory is issued, follow it carefully.
If you rely on a private well that may have been affected by flooding, don’t resume normal use until you’ve followed appropriate local testing and disinfection guidance.
Stored emergency water gives you an important buffer while officials determine whether the regular water supply is safe.
A portable water filter can also be useful as part of a broader emergency water plan, but filtration isn’t a substitute for following local contamination advisories because different treatment methods remove different hazards.
The Sawyer MINI Water Filtration System is a compact backup option for filtering appropriate freshwater sources when your normal water supply is disrupted.
Protect Your Food During an Extended Outage
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible when power fails.
Don’t rely on appearance or smell alone to decide whether perishable food is safe after an extended outage.
Food that has contacted floodwater should be treated as contaminated and discarded according to current food-safety guidance.
When you’re uncertain about refrigerated or frozen food after a lengthy outage, use official food-safety guidance rather than taking a chance.
First Aid and Medications
Storm-related injuries can happen during preparation, evacuation, sheltering, and cleanup.
Keep a well-stocked first-aid kit where it can be reached easily.
The EVERLIT 250-Piece Survival First Aid Kit provides an organized collection of first-aid and emergency supplies that can be kept with your household hurricane gear or taken along during an evacuation.
Refill prescriptions before the storm when possible and follow your healthcare provider’s or pharmacist’s guidance for medications requiring refrigeration or other special storage.
If anyone in the household depends on powered medical equipment, include backup power and evacuation contingencies in the hurricane plan well before a storm threatens.
Don’t Forget Pets
Pets need their own hurricane plan.
Prepare:
- Food
- Drinking water
- Medications
- Leashes
- Carriers
- Identification
- Vaccination records when appropriate
- Cleanup supplies
- Familiar bedding or comfort items
Identify pet-friendly evacuation destinations in advance because not every shelter or lodging option handles animals the same way.
Don’t leave pets behind during an evacuation.
Special Considerations for Children, Older Adults and People With Disabilities
A basic emergency kit may not cover every household member’s needs.
Consider:
- Mobility equipment
- Backup batteries
- Hearing-aid batteries
- Prescription medications
- Refrigerated medicine
- Medical documentation
- Infant formula and food
- Diapers
- Communication devices
- Service-animal supplies
- Transportation assistance
If someone may need help evacuating, establish that assistance before hurricane season.
Create a Longer-Term Household Backup Plan
A hurricane can create disruptions lasting much longer than the storm itself.
Major damage can affect electricity, drinking water, grocery stores, fuel availability, pharmacies, transportation, and communications.
Once your immediate 72-hour supplies are covered, consider gradually building deeper household reserves.
For a room-by-room approach to building deeper food, water, medical, sanitation, power, communication, and household reserves, see 90-Day Emergency Preparedness Checklist: How to Prepare Your Home for Three Months.
You don’t need to buy everything at once. Building preparedness gradually makes it easier to maintain, rotate, and replace supplies as needed.
Hurricane Preparedness Checklist
Before Hurricane Season
- Know your evacuation zone
- Identify multiple evacuation routes
- Review insurance coverage
- Photograph important property
- Build emergency supplies
- Store drinking water
- Plan for pets
- Refill critical medications
- Test smoke and carbon-monoxide alarms
- Check flashlights and emergency radios
- Inspect your vehicle
- Know where important documents are stored
When a Hurricane Is Approaching
- Monitor official forecasts
- Charge phones and batteries
- Fill approved water containers
- Fuel vehicles
- Bring loose outdoor items inside
- Install storm protection
- Prepare evacuation supplies
- Contact family members
- Review evacuation routes
- Follow local emergency instructions
During the Hurricane
- Stay indoors
- Stay away from windows
- Monitor emergency information
- Use flashlights instead of open flames
- Keep phones charged
- Remain sheltered during the eye
- Don’t go outside until conditions are declared safe
After the Hurricane
- Wait for official guidance
- Avoid floodwater
- Stay away from downed power lines
- Inspect your surroundings carefully
- Photograph property damage
- Wear protective gear during cleanup
- Follow drinking-water advisories
- Check food safety after outages
- Use generators safely
- Check on family and neighbors when conditions allow
Final Thoughts
The best time to prepare for a hurricane is long before one appears on the forecast map.
Know your evacuation zone. Build your emergency supplies. Store water. Prepare your vehicle. Protect your home. Plan for power outages. Most importantly, know what would cause your household to leave and where you would go.
Hurricanes are unpredictable in the details, but many of the problems they create are predictable.
Good hurricane preparedness gives you more time, more options, and fewer critical decisions to make when the weather is already deteriorating.