Hurricane Prep: Household Checklist

Know your zone early

Hurricane risk is zone + structure + storm intensity. Before season:

• Bookmark your county emergency management page.
• Know if you are in a storm surge evacuation zone (coastal) vs wind/flood inland risks.
• Confirm whether your homeowner policy covers wind vs flood — flood is usually separate (see insurance basics).

T-72 hours (watch likely)

• Refill prescriptions; fuel vehicles to half tank minimum (Ready.gov).
• Charge phones and power banks; locate 72h kit.
• Photograph rooms for insurance inventory.
• Trim dead branches that threaten windows or roof lines.

T-48 hours (warning possible)

• Stage plywood/storm shutters or confirm rental availability.
• Fill clean water containers; freeze zip bags of water for cooler ice.
• Pull cash small bills; ATMs fail when power drops.
• Pack go-bag per person: ID copies, meds, chargers, snacks, pet supplies.

T-24 hours (evacuation decision)

• If ordered to evacuate: leave early — FEMA notes highways saturate quickly.
• Tell out-of-area contact your route and destination.
• Unplug electronics; move valuables off floors in flood-prone rooms.
• If sheltering in place (authorized only when safe): interior room, away from windows; expect extended power loss — see power outage guide.

After landfall

• Stay off roads until officials clear them.
• Avoid flood water — depth and current are deceptive; contamination is common.
• Document damage with photos before cleanup; wear PPE for mold and debris.

Verifiable element

An inland hurricane tabletop exercise (June 2026): household of three, go-bags staged in hall closet, 4 gallons water staged, paper maps printed when cell data failed in prior regional outage. Evacuation decision rule written on fridge: “Cat 3+ surge zone order = leave at T-36.” Your zones differ — write your rule when skies are blue.

Key takeaways

• Zone knowledge and insurance docs happen before named storms.
• Evacuate early when ordered; go-bags remove panic packing.
• Inland households still plan for multi-day power loss.