Prepping on the hurricane coast
You get days of warning, which is a gift. The households that do well use the first 24 hours of the forecast, not the last.
What goes wrong here
- Storm surge and flooding
- Water, not wind, causes most hurricane deaths. Know your evacuation zone before the season starts.
- Week-plus outages
- Major storms can leave areas without power for one to three weeks.
- Heat after the storm
- No AC in late-summer heat is a medical risk for kids, older adults and anyone on medication.
- Fuel and supply shortages
- Gas stations run dry before landfall and stay dry for days after.
- Generator CO poisoning
- One of the leading causes of death after hurricanes.
What's different about your plan
Your biggest decision is whether you leave. Look up your evacuation zone now, and know that if you're in a surge zone, you go. Everything else in your plan follows from that.
That means you need two kits: a shelter-in-place kit for wind-only zones, and an evacuation kit that fits in your car with documents, meds, cash and pet supplies. Keep your gas tank full from the moment a storm enters the forecast cone.
If you stay, plan for heat, not cold. Battery fans, cooling towels, a power station for a small fan overnight, and lots of water. Run any generator outside, far from windows, with battery CO alarms inside.
Do these first, in this order
- Know your zone and route
Find your evacuation zone on your county emergency site. Plan two routes inland.
- Waterproof document kit
IDs, insurance, deeds, photos of every room for claims. In a dry bag.
Go-bags and evacuation guide - Two weeks of water
Plus a bathtub bladder filled before landfall.
Water storage and filters guide - Power station or inverter generator
Fans, phones, fridge. Generator outdoors only.
Power stations and generators guide - NOAA weather radio
Tracks the storm and shelter openings after cell service drops.
Radios and communication guide - Sanitation kit
Flooding often compromises sewage systems.
Sanitation and hygiene guide
Skip or put off
- Taping windows. It does not prevent breakage and creates bigger shards.
- Waiting until a storm is named to buy supplies. Shelves empty fast.
How ready is your hurricane coast home?
The quiz weights every item for hurricane coast risks and shows your top gaps. About 3 minutes, no sign-up.