Hurricane preparedness is not just about wind. The most dangerous impacts can include storm surge, inland flooding, tornadoes, prolonged power outages, contaminated water, extreme heat after the storm and delayed access to medical care or supplies. A useful plan starts with your location and evacuation risk.
Hurricane action plan by trigger
- Before the season: Find the official local evacuation zone, shelter information and a route outside storm-surge areas; photograph key documents and check supplies.
- Watch or forecast track threatens your area: Follow local forecasts, fuel or charge transport, check medication refills, and prepare the household for either evacuation or prolonged utility loss.
- Local evacuation order or unsafe housing: Leave according to official directions; do not substitute a home-supply checklist for an evacuation plan.
A forecast cone is not a map of all hazards. Rain, surge, flooding and tornado risk can extend outside the center-track forecast.
Know your evacuation and storm-surge risk
Find your local evacuation zone and learn which authority issues orders for your area. If you live in a storm-surge zone, manufactured home or other vulnerable structure, decide where you would go before a storm is approaching. Do not wait until roads are congested to identify a destination, transportation plan or pet-friendly shelter option.
Build a communication plan
Enable phone alerts, identify local emergency-management channels and know your National Weather Service office. A battery-powered or hand-crank radio can provide another information path if internet or cell service is unreliable. See Emergency Alerts During an Outage.
Prepare a stay-at-home supply and a go-kit
A hurricane can lead either to evacuation or to sheltering at home after the storm. Maintain a portable go-kit with essential documents, medication, food, water, chargers and personal items, and a larger home supply for longer disruptions. The 72-Hour Emergency Kit Checklist is a useful portable baseline, but a home plan may need more.
Water
Store water before the storm. The Red Cross uses one gallon per person per day as a planning baseline and recommends a larger home supply where practical. Hurricanes can affect water systems through power failure, flooding or contamination. Follow local boil-water or do-not-use advisories after the storm.
Use the Water Calculator and read How to Store Emergency Water Safely before the season begins.
Food and refrigeration
Keep shelf-stable foods available and know the refrigerator/freezer safety limits. If power fails, keep doors closed. CDC guidance uses four hours for an unopened refrigerator, 48 hours for a full freezer and 24 hours for a half-full freezer. See Power Outage Food Safety.
Backup power and generator safety
Charge phones, power banks and battery systems before the storm. If you use a fuel-burning generator, carbon-monoxide safety is critical. CDC says portable generators should be operated outdoors and at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents. Never run one in a garage or enclosed area.
If you are considering a battery power station, size it for defined loads such as phones, refrigerator, medical equipment or internet. Use the Power Runtime Calculator as a planning estimate, not a guarantee.
Protect documents and insurance information
Keep identification, insurance information, medical information, emergency contacts and property records accessible. Use a waterproof container or secure digital backup where appropriate. Photograph important property before the storm if doing so safely helps with insurance documentation.
Prepare pets
Include pet food, water, medication, leash/harness, carrier, identification and records. Know which shelters, hotels or evacuation destinations accept animals. Do not leave pet planning until an evacuation order is issued.
Secure the home according to local guidance
Follow local building and emergency-management recommendations for shutters, outdoor furniture, loose objects and flood risk. Do not perform dangerous last-minute roof or tree work as winds increase. If authorities tell you to evacuate, property protection is secondary to leaving safely.
During the storm
Stay away from windows and follow local shelter guidance. Continue monitoring official alerts. Do not go outside during an apparent lull unless authorities say conditions are safe; the eye of a hurricane can create a temporary calm followed by dangerous winds from the opposite direction.
After the storm
Avoid floodwater, downed power lines and damaged buildings. Floodwater may contain sewage, chemicals, debris and electrical hazards. Use generators only with proper outdoor clearance. Follow water and food advisories. If returning after evacuation, wait until authorities say the area is open and safe.
Hurricane readiness timeline
Before hurricane season
Know zones, insurance, evacuation destinations, medications, pet plan, water storage and backup-power options.
When a storm threatens
Charge devices, fill/verify supplies, fuel vehicles if appropriate, secure outdoor items, check prescriptions and monitor official forecasts.
When an evacuation order is issued
Leave according to local instructions. Take go-kits, medication, documents and pets. Do not delay solely to protect property.
National guidance provides a framework, but evacuation zones, shelters, surge risks and public alerts are local. Your county or state emergency-management agency should be part of the plan.
Storm surge is not ordinary flooding
Storm surge can move water rapidly into coastal areas and can be life-threatening even when rainfall at your exact location seems modest. If officials order evacuation because of surge risk, do not use your home’s elevation, vehicle size or past storm experience as a reason to ignore the order.
Do not focus only on the forecast track line
Hurricane impacts extend well beyond the center line of a forecast cone. Wind, tornadoes, flooding and surge can affect large areas. Use official forecasts and local instructions instead of interpreting a single map point as a promise that your area is safe.
Fuel and vehicle readiness
Evacuation traffic and power outages can disrupt fuel access. Keep vehicles maintained and charge electric vehicles before the storm if evacuation is possible. Know more than one route, but follow local traffic management because authorities may direct evacuation flows.
Post-storm heat
After a hurricane, heat can become a major risk when air conditioning is unavailable. Battery power stations typically cannot run whole-home cooling for long. Identify cooling centers, relatives or other safe locations before the storm if anyone in the household is heat-sensitive.
Medication and healthcare continuity
Refill essential prescriptions before a forecast storm when possible and know how refrigerated or powered medical needs would be handled during evacuation or a prolonged outage. Keep a medication list, provider contacts and necessary supplies with the go-kit. If a device is life-sustaining, coordinate an outage plan with the healthcare provider rather than relying on a generic backup-power recommendation.
Floodwater and cleanup
After landfall, avoid floodwater whenever possible. It can contain sewage, chemicals, sharp debris and hidden electrical hazards. Wear appropriate protective equipment during cleanup and follow CDC/local guidance for contaminated water, mold and damaged structures.
Related planning decisions: Flood Preparedness Guide: Alerts, Evacuation, Water Safety and the Decisions to Make Early, How Much Water Should You Store Before a Hurricane and Can You Use Tap Water After a Flood.
Sources & references
PrepMorrow prioritizes authoritative U.S. guidance for safety-critical preparedness information. Sources were reviewed for this guide before publication.