Hurricane Preparation Checklist: Everything You Need to Stay Safe
From the day a major storm is announced to the moment it lands in your area, you may not have a lot of time to prepare your home and family to weather the storm safely. In addition to things like putting up shutters and making sure all of your patio furniture is stored somewhere safe from the storm, you might start thinking about all the things you need for a hurricane preparation checklist.
Because you might go days or even weeks without power, depending on the strength of the storm, having a hurricane preparation list ready as you make your final trips to the store is imperative. These hurricane essentials will help make sure you and your family have all of the fundamental ingredients to get through a hurricane from start to finish.
What Are the Hurricane Essentials?
If you live in a coastal area that experiences a higher volume of tropical weather, you may want to put an emergency stockpile of these items together at the beginning of hurricane season. Last-minute shopping can be stressful, and it's not uncommon for some hurricane essentials like bottled water to sell out quickly.
If you plan to evacuate, it is a good idea to stock up on food and water during your evacuation, in a town that will not be as directly impacted as yours. It is important to leave enough supplies for those who are staying in the directly affected areas.
While we recommend evacuating if a hurricane is set to hit your area, if you plan to stay in your home to weather the storm, you will want to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Imagine your electricity is off for a week, you don't have access to grocery or convenience stores, you can't turn water on in your house: what will you need? Take a look at our checklist to help you create a baseline to work from.
1. Food and Water
One of the most important elements to your hurricane prep list is making sure you have enough of the right kinds of food and water to last through the storm and its aftermath. If you are staying at your home, being prepared with food and water is crucial.
- • One gallon of water per person for each day
- • Non-perishable food items
- • A can-opener
- • Baby food that requires no refrigeration for any children or infants in the home
The average person needs to drink at least a half-gallon of water every day, but should be drinking closer to a gallon, especially during warmer months. Make sure you have enough water to last at least a full week, and store it in plastic or other non-biodegradable containers.
It's a good idea to have about a week's worth of nutrient-dense foods that don't require either heating or refrigeration. Canned goods (including fruit and vegetables), granola bars, nut butter, and other high-energy foods are a good place to start.
Avoid stocking up on too many comfort foods. Chips and snacks are nice, but if you and your family are without power for an extended period of time, snack food may not be enough to keep you properly energized after the storm has passed.
If you run through your week supply of food and water and you still do not have electricity or access to a grocery store, it is likely the National Guard will be deployed in your area with food distribution points close to your home.
If you are still without access to food in your area after the National Guard leaves, there may be food kitchens set up by various organizations to provide you and your family hot meals and water.
2. First Aid Kit
Hurricanes are extremely unpredictable. What may be expected to be a minor storm can sometimes cause catastrophic damage — and there may be little notice of a hurricane strengthening before it makes landfall.
When a hurricane makes landfall, emergency services may become inundated with calls and people with serious injuries will be treated first. Ensure you have a first aid kit available that includes these basic items:
- • Bandages of various sizes
- • Alcohol wipes or hand sanitizer
- • Antibacterial salve or ointment
- • A snap-to-activate cold pack
- • Adhesive tape and gauze
- • Pain relievers (like aspirin or ibuprofen)
- • A full week supply of any regularly used prescription medication
- • Scissors
- • Tweezers
- • Antiseptic
- • Sunscreen
- • Antacid
- • Gloves
- • Sewing needle and thread
3. Miscellaneous Supplies
In addition to food, water and first aid, making sure you have miscellaneous supplies handy as your hurricane essentials can help make the time during and after the storm as comfortable as possible:
- • Blankets
- • Cash
- • Toilet paper and flushable towelettes
- • Any necessary personal hygiene or feminine care products
- • Functioning flashlights and extra batteries
- • Fully charged portable power stations for small electronics
- • Pet care supplies (food, water, leash, medications, identification, crate, etc.)
- • Paper products including plates and cups
- • A severe weather alert radio
- • A fire extinguisher
- • A generator with extra fuel stored in a safe place (outside your home/garage)
- • Entertainment for children (books/games)
Many people assume they have these items readily available in their homes but may not have used them recently (or ever). At the beginning of hurricane season, identify your uncommonly used storm essentials (like a weather alert radio), turn them on, and make sure they're still functional.
4. Clothes
If you're going to be without electricity for a while, it's important to have clean clothes on hand, if only to maintain a level of comfort during a period of upheaval. Since hurricanes bring nasty weather, make sure you have appropriate clothing for the weather and for cleaning up afterwards.
- • A full week's worth of clean clothes
- • Rain gear
- • Work boots or closed toed shoes for cleaning up the aftermath
5. Documents
Often we don't know how strong a hurricane will be until it's too late. It's important to gather all your important documents and store them in a water-proof container to make the process of rebuilding your life a bit easier.
- • List of important phone numbers (emergency contacts, evacuation centers, relatives, doctors, etc.)
- • Medical records
- • Insurance cards
- • Copy of birth/marriage certificate(s)
- • Copies of social security cards
- • Banking information
- • Extra sets of important keys (house, car, office)
- • Information about prescriptions or any medical supplies (where you get them, dosage amount, etc.)
What to Put on the Hurricane Prep List for Your Home
When you know there's a storm coming, there's a lot to do in order to get your family ready. Making sure you have the things you need to prepare for a hurricane is important. But what about your home?
Hurricanes can cause an overwhelming amount of damage to your home, so making sure you have an adequate level of homeowners insurance is an important part of being fully prepared for the storm.
If you don't know how much coverage you have, whether your current policy covers flooding or damage to your external property like the patio or pool, it might be time to double-check your coverage and explore the options offered by other providers in your area.
To prepare your home for a hurricane, it is a good idea to clear your yard of any items that may get picked up by wind, cover your windows and doors, and check your carbon monoxide and smoke alarms to make sure they are ready to alert you of any potential threats.