If officials tell you to evacuate for a hurricane, leave using the route they give you. A house that looks strong is not protection from storm surge, rising water or an evacuation route that is about to close. If officials tell you to shelter, stay indoors, away from windows, in a small interior room of a sturdy building that is not at risk of flooding.
Hurricanes bring several hazards at once. The National Weather Service hurricane guide identifies storm surge, inland flooding, destructive wind, tornadoes, high surf and rip currents. Water can be the controlling risk even when the center stays away from you. Prepare for the hazards at your address, not just the storm’s category.
Know what the alerts mean
A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible in the stated area. A hurricane warning means they are expected. The CDC hurricane-preparation guide says watches are generally issued 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected and warnings 36 hours before. Your safe working window may close earlier as roads flood, bridges restrict traffic or wind makes outdoor work dangerous.
Use at least two alert paths: local emergency notifications plus a battery radio, weather radio, or charged phone. Write down the local emergency-management number, shelter route and one out-of-area contact. The site’s printable emergency contact card keeps that information available when a phone battery or network fails.
Make the evacuate-or-shelter plan before a storm forms
Look up your official evacuation and surge zone through local emergency management. Choose a destination, primary route and backup route. Ask now whether a shelter accepts pets and what it requires. Plan transport for anyone who does not drive, uses mobility equipment, needs refrigerated medicine or depends on powered medical equipment. Do not wait for landfall day to solve those needs.
A manufactured home, trailer or RV is not safe shelter in hurricane-force wind. Arrange a sturdy destination. In any building, do not choose a basement or low room when flooding or surge is possible. The American Red Cross hurricane guidance recommends a small, interior, windowless room on the lowest level that is not likely to flood; move higher before water reaches you when flooding threatens.
Use two supply sets. A carryable evacuation kit should hold medicines, identification, contact details, water, food, chargers, a flashlight, clothing and pet needs for the journey and destination. A stay-at-home kit can be larger and should account for a prolonged loss of power, water, stores and pharmacies. Rotate it instead of buying an anonymous “hurricane kit” and forgetting it.
Build supplies around people and days
Start with the household, not a shopping list. Record each person’s medicines, mobility, communication, temperature and dietary needs. Include infants, older adults and pets. Keep important records in a waterproof, portable container. Maintain cash in small denominations, hygiene supplies, sturdy shoes, work gloves, first aid supplies, fire extinguisher, manual can opener, flashlights and compatible batteries.
Store drinking water in clean containers before the storm. Use the household water calculator to turn people and days into a documented baseline, then add pet and medical needs. Bathtub water is useful for washing or flushing unless local guidance says otherwise; do not assume it is drinking water. Follow local health instructions if the public supply may be contaminated.
Choose food the household already eats that can be opened and served without fuel. Keep a refrigerator thermometer and plan to minimize door opening during an outage. A short power cut, a long outage and food exposed to floodwater require different decisions; smell and appearance cannot prove food is safe.
Forty-eight hours before hazardous wind
- Recheck local alerts, the evacuation zone, shelter status and routes. Tell the out-of-area contact the plan.
- Refill essential prescriptions when permitted and charge phones, power banks and medical-device backups. Never assume a consumer battery can safely support a medical device; use the device maker and care team’s instructions.
- Fuel or charge the evacuation vehicle. Park where it is less exposed to floodwater without blocking an exit.
- Bring in loose outdoor items, including furniture, grills and propane cylinders. Use installed storm shutters or properly specified window protection only while conditions are safe. Tape does not make glass hurricane-proof.
- Photograph the home and important property for records. Keep identification, insurance information and medicines ready to carry.
- Work through the power-outage planner and decide which loads are truly essential. Plan lighting and communications before comfort loads.
Six hours before hazardous wind
Stop outdoor preparation before winds make ladders, shutters and loose material dangerous. Put evacuation kits, shoes, flashlights and the radio together. Set the refrigerator and freezer colder while power is available, then leave their doors closed. Fill clean containers if advised. Check on neighbors without asking anyone to ignore an order or cross floodwater.
If ordered to evacuate, take the official route even when another road looks faster. Never drive around a flood barricade or through water. The dedicated flash-flood evacuation guide explains why a vehicle is not a flood shelter. Leave early enough that you are not choosing a route after tropical-storm-force winds arrive.
While the hurricane is affecting your area
Stay indoors and away from windows, skylights and exterior doors. Use the preselected interior room and keep alerts audible. Wear sturdy shoes in case glass or debris enters the building. Keep pets contained. Do not go outside during a sudden calm: the eye can pass overhead and violent wind can resume from another direction.
If water enters the building, move away from it and follow emergency instructions. Do not retreat into a sealed attic where rising water can trap you. Call 911 for immediate danger and signal rescuers from the highest safe visible location if instructed. Do not enter moving water or attempt a boat or raft escape without trained rescue direction.
Use flashlights instead of candles. Never run a generator, grill, camp stove, pressure washer or vehicle in a home, basement, garage, carport, near an open door, or near a window or vent. Carbon monoxide cannot be seen or smelled. The CDC’s after-hurricane guidance says fuel-burning equipment belongs outside at least 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, with a working battery-backed carbon-monoxide detector. Follow the equipment manual and local fire rules as well.
After the wind and rain: wait for the all-clear
Wait for an official message before leaving shelter or returning home. Conditions can remain deadly after the center has passed. Avoid floodwater, beaches and fast-moving water; downed lines can energize wet ground and hidden debris can cause serious wounds. Report a fallen line from a safe distance. Do not enter a damaged building until authorities say it is safe, and leave if you hear shifting or unusual structural sounds.
Do not use a wet electrical device. If you can reach the main breaker without standing in water or approaching damaged wiring, follow utility instructions; otherwise wait for an electrician. Photograph damage from a safe place and use qualified help for structural, electrical, gas and roof work. Cleanup is not worth a fall, electrocution, contaminated wound or carbon-monoxide exposure.
Follow local drinking-water notices. Use bottled, boiled or otherwise treated water exactly as health authorities direct for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, washing hands, making ice and preparing infant formula. Discard food touched by floodwater and perishables that were not kept safely cold. When in doubt, throw it out rather than taste-test it.
A one-page hurricane practice card
- Official alert sources: ____________________
- Evacuation zone and trigger: ____________________
- Destination / shelter: ____________________
- Primary and backup routes: ____________________
- Interior shelter room above flood risk: ____________________
- Transport or medical-power support: ____________________
- Out-of-area contact: ____________________
- Pet destination: ____________________
- Water and food days ready: ____________________
- Next medication, battery and supply rotation date: ____________________
Practice two short drills: one in which the household leaves with its carryable kits, and one in which everyone reaches the interior shelter room with shoes, lights, radio and contact card. Fix the slow or missing step while the sky is clear. For a communications fallback sequence, use the blackout communication plan.
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It’s scary to learn about how when you are inside the hurricane all the storm’s effects get magnified. I’m moving to Florida soon and need to learn how to deal with all the huge storms that will come my way. I want to try and prep my home a little bit by buying windows that can withstand giant storms.