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How to Prepare a Hurricane Emergency Kit and Evacuation Plan

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A hurricane plan has two parts that must work together: a portable go bag for leaving quickly and a larger home supply kit for several days of sheltering. Build both around your household’s actual medical, mobility, communication, infant, and pet needs. Before a storm, identify your locally assigned evacuation zone, official route, destinations, shelters, and transportation. When officials order an evacuation, leave immediately and follow their directions rather than a generic route found online.

The checklist below follows hurricane guidance from FEMA and safety instructions from the CDC. Local emergency-management agencies control evacuation zones, route changes, shelter openings, public-transport arrangements, and reentry decisions, so verify those details for your address before hurricane season.

What you are preparing for

A hurricane can require either a short evacuation or several days without normal utilities. Your preparation should therefore cover two different situations:

  • Home supply kit: supplies stored where you can reach them if you shelter at home, including water, food, sanitation items, lighting, documents, and household-specific equipment.
  • Go bag: a portable selection of essential items to grab when you evacuate. Keep it packed, lightweight enough for the person carrying it, and near an exit.

There is no single universally correct bag size or preassembled kit. A kit is adequate only if it covers the people, animals, medicines, equipment, and documents in your household and can be moved when local officials tell you to leave.

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Build the hurricane emergency kit

FEMA’s hurricane checklist calls for at least a three-day supply of water and nonperishable food, plus medications for at least one week. Store the home kit in a dry, accessible location and keep the go bag’s essential items portable. Quantities and food choices must reflect the number of people, pets, and any special diets in your household.

Category Include Planning detail
Water and food At least a three-day supply of water and nonperishable food Adjust the amount, preparation method, and food choices to every household member and pet.
Communication Cellular phone, extra battery and chargers, AM/FM or NOAA Weather Radio, spare radio batteries, and written contact information Written numbers remain useful if a phone is lost, damaged, or out of power.
Medical needs Medications for at least one week, prescription copies, spare eyeglasses or contact lenses, a first aid kit, medical equipment or assistive technology, and backup batteries Include the items a person uses every day, not only a generic first aid kit.
Infant and pet supplies Infant formula and diapers; pet food, supplies, and extra water Plan for feeding, medication, restraint, identification, and transport.
Hygiene and sanitation Soap or disinfectant/sanitizer, paper towels or moist towelettes, toilet paper, bleach, toothbrushes, and toothpaste Pack enough for the period you may be without normal water and waste services.
Documents and money Photo identification, cash and cards, personal, medical, financial, and property records, and a waterproof portable container Keep documents protected from rain and floodwater; add password-protected digital copies.
Tools, protection, and comfort Flashlight, multipurpose tool, waterproof matches or lighter, whistle, sturdy shoes, extra clothing, blankets or sleeping bags, and comfort items Choose items that can be used safely in darkness, wet conditions, and an unfamiliar shelter.

Water, food, and cooking choices

Use foods that can be eaten with little or no cooking if electricity is unavailable. Account for allergies, texture requirements, diabetes or other dietary restrictions, and the ability of each person to open packaging. Put a manual can opener in the kit when canned food is included. Keep food and water in containers that the person who will carry them can manage.

Do not treat the three-day minimum as a promise that roads, stores, or utilities will be restored on that schedule. It is the minimum named in FEMA’s checklist; your local hazard, household size, and ability to resupply may justify more.

Communication and power

Charge phones before a storm, pack charging cables and an extra battery, and write important contact information on paper. Keep an AM/FM or NOAA Weather Radio with spare batteries so you can receive official information when cellular service or internet access is unreliable. Sign up for local emergency alerts and monitor official weather and emergency-management updates.

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FEMA advises conserving mobile-device batteries and using text messages or other messages when phone systems are busy or unavailable. Agree on a contact outside the immediate area and decide how the household will report that it is safe. A short text may get through when a voice call does not; avoid repeated calls that drain a phone and congest the network.

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Medical equipment and medicines

Pack at least one week of medicines and copies of prescriptions. Keep medicines in their labeled containers where possible, and record prescribing clinician and pharmacy details. Include spare glasses, contact-lens supplies, hearing-aid batteries, mobility aids, communication devices, and any other assistive technology used by a household member. Back up every device that depends on electricity with the batteries, chargers, or power banks it requires.

A general first aid kit does not replace a person’s regular treatment, specialized supplies, or an emergency plan made with a clinician. If refrigeration, oxygen, dialysis, or powered medical equipment is essential, contact the relevant provider and local emergency-management office before hurricane season to learn the local continuity and evacuation arrangements.

Infants, older adults, disabilities, and pets

List each person’s specific needs rather than assuming one standard kit works for everyone. Infants may need formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, and a safe way to carry them. Older adults or people with disabilities may need extra time, a support person, accessible toilets, medication assistance, or a backup communication method. Include service-animal equipment and identification as well as ordinary pet food, water, medications, carriers, leashes, and waste supplies.

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Many public shelters have rules about animals, and a pet-friendly destination may be outside your immediate neighborhood. Confirm this before a warning; never leave a pet behind because a shelter’s policy was not checked.

Protect documents, identity, and cash

Place photo identification, insurance information, medical records, financial records, property documents, and other critical papers in a waterproof portable container. FEMA’s checklist specifically includes such a container. Keep password-protected digital copies as an additional safeguard, stored in a way you can access without relying on one device.

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Carry some cash as well as payment cards because a power or communications outage can disable card terminals and cash machines. Do not put every original document in the go bag if that would leave no protected copy at home; decide which originals must travel and which can remain secured.

Make a local evacuation plan before a storm

National guidance cannot tell you which zone, road, shelter, bus, or destination applies to your address. Use your city, county, tribal, or state emergency-management office to build the plan below, then write the details down for every household member.

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  1. Find your evacuation zone. Look up the zone assigned to your home and learn the local warning terms and evacuation process. A zone designation is location-specific; do not substitute a neighboring community’s map.
  2. Choose a primary destination. Decide where the household will go if an evacuation is ordered: a relative or friend, hotel, or other safe location outside the threatened area. Record the exact address and contact information.
  3. Choose a backup destination. Roads may close and a first destination may be unavailable. Select another location outside the evacuation area and tell both hosts when you would use the backup.
  4. Plan for every traveler. Decide who drives, who assists children or adults needing extra help, how mobility devices and medicines will be loaded, and how pets or service animals will travel. If members may separate at work, school, or care, give each person the same destination and contact card.
  5. Get the official route and shelter information. Ask local authorities which evacuation routes and shelters are designated for your zone. Confirm opening information, accessibility, pet policies, and registration requirements rather than relying on an old social-media post.
  6. Arrange transportation. Keep a private vehicle fueled and capable of carrying people, animals, equipment, and the go bag. If you use public transportation, paratransit, community transport, or an accessible vehicle, verify the reservation and pickup procedure with local emergency management well in advance. National guidance cannot infer those local arrangements.
  7. Practice the route. Drive or walk the official route under ordinary conditions, identify fuel and rest stops, and note alternatives that local officials permit. Practice loading mobility equipment, securing pets, and leaving with the go bag. Do not create an unofficial shortcut that could lead toward floodwater or a closed road.
  8. Set alert and decision rules. Enroll in local emergency alerts and decide who monitors official weather information. Write down the trigger for leaving, such as an evacuation order for your zone, so nobody waits for a last-minute argument.
  9. Keep the plan accessible. Store a printed plan in the document pouch and share it with trusted contacts. Include addresses, phone numbers, zone information, route instructions, transportation contacts, medication details, and the meeting point.

FEMA’s instruction is direct: “Evacuate immediately if ordered to do so.” An evacuation order takes priority over a personal estimate that the storm does not look severe at your location.

What to do when an evacuation warning or order arrives

During a warning

Charge phones and battery packs, fill the vehicle according to local safety guidance, collect medicines and documents, and move the go bag to the exit. Recheck official alerts for zone-specific timing, route changes, shelter openings, and weather hazards. Tell your out-of-area contact which destination you intend to use.

When your zone is ordered to evacuate

Leave promptly using the route and transportation plan supplied by local officials. Take the go bag, essential medicines, identification, documents, phone chargers, and the supplies required by infants, pets, and people with disabilities. Follow police, emergency-management, and transportation instructions at intersections and checkpoints. Never drive around barricades or use a route that officials have closed.

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After leaving

Tell your designated contact that you have arrived, using a text or message if possible. Keep monitoring official instructions; a route or shelter can change as conditions develop. Do not return to the evacuated area until local officials announce that reentry is safe. A familiar neighborhood is not proof that utilities, bridges, water systems, or buildings are safe.

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Floodwater and generator safety

Stay out of floodwater

Never walk, swim, or drive through floodwater. FEMA states: “Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock you down and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.” Water may conceal open drains, debris, electrical hazards, washed-out pavement, or contaminated material. Turn around and use an official alternative rather than testing whether a vehicle can pass.

Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) is odorless and colorless. The CDC reports that more than 400 Americans die each year from unintentional CO poisoning not linked to fires, more than 100,000 visit an emergency department, and more than 14,000 are hospitalized. Its warning is simple: “Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless, colorless gas that kills without warning.”

Operate a generator outdoors, more than 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents. Never use one inside a home or garage, even with doors or windows open. Place it so exhaust cannot drift toward an opening or an occupied neighboring space. Use a battery-powered or battery-backup CO detector inside the home and test it before the season.

FEMA also says that generators, grills, and camp stoves must be used only outdoors and at least 20 feet from building openings. A grill or camp stove is not an indoor cooking or heating solution. Keep all combustion equipment away from tents, porches, carports, and other partly enclosed areas.

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Assemble your own kit or buy a prepacked one?

A prepacked kit can save time, but no package automatically covers a particular household. If you compare options, use these checks:

  • Household coverage: Does it contain enough water and food for your people and the required period?
  • Portability: Can the person responsible for carrying it move it quickly, along with medicines and documents?
  • Shelf life: Are replacement dates clear, and can you maintain them?
  • Power: Are the batteries, chargers, and backup power supplies compatible with your devices?
  • Specialized needs: Does it leave room for prescriptions, assistive technology, infant supplies, or pet equipment?
  • Communication and records: Does it include a radio, written contacts, and a secure way to carry documents?

Most households will need to add or remove items even after buying a packaged kit. FEMA’s checklist supports tailoring supplies; it does not endorse a particular brand or establish that one preassembled kit is best.

Maintain and practice the plan

Put a recurring reminder on your calendar to inspect the kit and go bag. Replace expired food, batteries, medicines, and personal-care items; update prescription copies, contact cards, insurance records, and destination addresses. Check that shoes, clothing, and mobility equipment still fit the people using them. Rotate items into normal use before they expire when doing so will not compromise the emergency reserve.

Run a household drill. Have each person locate the go bag, identify the meeting point, send the agreed text, and explain the evacuation zone and destination. Practice loading pets, wheelchairs, oxygen equipment, or other bulky necessities. If the drill reveals that one person cannot carry the assigned bag or that a destination cannot accept an animal, revise the plan before the next warning.

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Review the plan after every local emergency alert, route change, move, new prescription, vehicle change, or change in household membership. The most useful kit is the one that is current, reachable, and matched to the people who must use it.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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