How to Prepare for a Hurricane: A Calm Checklist

Hurricane advice usually arrives as either a weather-channel panic loop or a 60-item shopping list you start the day before landfall. This is neither. It's a calm sequence you can work through over a season, built on guidance from the National Hurricane Center, Ready.gov and the American Red Cross — not fear.

One line carries most of the safety: hide from the wind, run from the water. Most hurricane deaths are from water — storm surge and inland flooding — not the wind everyone watches on TV. Get that idea straight and the rest falls into place.

The quick version (5-minute scan)

• Know your zone: find out now if you're in an evacuation or storm-surge zone (your county emergency-management site).
• Decide early: if you're told to evacuate — especially in a surge zone — go. Don't wait to "see how bad it gets."
• Water & food: one gallon per person per day, 3–7 days; food that needs no cooking.
• Power & comms: charged power banks, a battery/crank radio, full gas tank, cash.
• Documents: IDs, insurance, deeds in a waterproof bag — plus photos of your home for claims.
• Home: bring in or tie down anything loose; cover windows if you have shutters or plywood.

1. Know your zone — before the season

The single most useful thing you can do is find out, today, whether you live in a storm-surge or evacuation zone. Look it up on your county or state emergency-management website, write the zone letter on the fridge, and identify which evacuation route you'd take. Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, so the time to check is before a storm has a name.

Wind category (the Saffir-Simpson 1–5 scale) gets the headlines, but it only measures wind. It does not capture surge or rainfall flooding, which is what actually kills people. A "weak" Category 1 parked over your town can drop more water than a fast-moving Category 3.

2. Watch vs. Warning — what the words mean

These two terms drive your timing, so know them cold (NHC):

• Hurricane Watch: conditions are possible within ~48 hours. Start finishing your prep and fuel up.
• Hurricane Warning: conditions are expected within ~36 hours. Your decisions should already be made; now you're executing them.

Not sure your household could handle a few days cut off? The free Resilience Score takes about three minutes and shows your specific gaps — water, power, comms and more — with no sign-up wall. → Take the Resilience Score

3. The stay-or-go decision (make it early)

If officials issue a mandatory evacuation for your zone, the decision is made for you — leave, early, while roads are open and stations have fuel. Surge zones are not negotiable: water rises fast and cuts off escape. If you're outside the surge/evac zones in a sound building, sheltering in place may be reasonable. Work it through calmly before the warning, not during it — see our stay-or-evacuate decision guide.

4. Supplies that actually matter

• Water: one gallon (≈4 L) per person per day, 3–7 days — see how much water to store.
• Food: several days of no-cook food and a manual can opener.
• Power: charged power banks; if you have a generator, review carbon-monoxide safety — every season people die running them indoors.
• Comms: a battery or hand-crank radio for updates when the network drops.
• Cash: small bills — ATMs and card readers fail with the power.
• Fuel & meds: fill the tank early; keep a week of any prescription.

5. Protect the home and the paperwork

A day or two out: bring in or secure anything the wind can throw — furniture, bins, grills, plants. Cover windows with storm shutters or plywood if you have them (tape does nothing). Photograph each room and the exterior for insurance, and put IDs, insurance policies and deeds in a waterproof bag or sealed container. Note: flood damage is usually not covered by standard home insurance, and new flood policies often have a 30-day waiting period — which is another reason to sort it before the season, not during a watch.

6. During the storm

• Shelter in a small interior room on the lowest safe floor, away from windows.
• If water is rising, move up — but never into a closed attic you can't get out of.
• The eye is a trap: the calm centre is followed by violent winds from the opposite direction. Do not go outside because "it stopped."
• Keep the radio on for official updates; stay off the roads.

7. After it passes

• Stay out of floodwater — it hides downed power lines, sharp debris, and contamination. Just six inches of moving water can knock you down.
• Assume downed lines are live. Report them; don't touch them.
• Run generators outside only, far from windows.
• If a boil-water notice is issued, follow it. Photograph damage before you clean up, for your claim.

Hurricanes are one of the few disasters with days of warning — which means calm preparation beats last-minute panic every time. Once your kit is sorted, the other half is a plan everyone knows: see how to make a family emergency plan.

Printable checklist

• [ ] Looked up my evacuation / storm-surge zone
• [ ] Evacuation route + a place to go decided
• [ ] Water: 1 gal/person/day, 3–7 days
• [ ] No-cook food + manual can opener
• [ ] Power banks charged + battery/crank radio
• [ ] Full gas tank + cash in small bills
• [ ] Week of medications
• [ ] Documents in a waterproof bag + home photos for insurance
• [ ] Loose outdoor items secured; windows covered (if shutters/plywood)

Frequently asked questions

When should I evacuate for a hurricane?
If officials order a mandatory evacuation for your zone, leave early while roads and fuel are available — especially in storm-surge zones, where water rises fast. "Hide from wind, run from water." (Ready.gov)

What's the difference between a hurricane watch and a warning?
A watch means conditions are possible within ~48 hours; a warning means they're expected within ~36 hours. By the warning, your prep and decisions should already be done. (National Hurricane Center)

How much water should I store for a hurricane?
One gallon (about 4 litres) per person per day, for 3–7 days, covering drinking and basic hygiene. (Ready.gov)

Is it safe to go outside during the eye of the storm?
No. The calm eye is followed by hurricane-force winds from the opposite direction, often with little warning. Stay sheltered until officials say it's over.

Sources: National Hurricane Center (NOAA); Ready.gov — Hurricanes; Ready.gov — Water; American Red Cross — Hurricane Safety; FEMA / FloodSmart flood-insurance guidance. Educational reference — not professional advice; for any acute emergency, contact your local emergency number.