A hurricane gives you something most emergencies don't: warning. Here's how to use those days well — before, during, and after the storm.
A hurricane is really two emergencies wearing one name. The wind is the part everyone pictures — but water does most of the harm. Per the NWS, storm surge is historically the leading cause of hurricane deaths in the United States, and flooding from heavy rain is second. Both reach places the wind barely touches: surge can push miles inland along bays and rivers, and rain flooding happens hundreds of miles from the coast.
Here's the good news, and it's real: you'll almost always see a hurricane coming. Forecasters issue a hurricane watch about 48 hours before dangerous winds could arrive, and a warning about 36 hours out. That's one to two full days to do the things that matter — and most of them are simple.
The Atlantic season runs June 1 through November 30 every year, so none of this has to be a scramble. Handle the list below on a calm weekend, know whether your home is in an evacuation zone, and the storm becomes something you work through instead of something that happens to you.
Whether you leave or stay usually comes down to water, not wind. Contact your local emergency management office — or search your county's name plus 'evacuation zone' — and find out now whether your address is in one. Per the NWS, storm surge can push miles inland along bays and rivers, so this isn't only a beachfront question. If you're in a zone, decide today where you'd go and how you'd get there.
Water comes first: FEMA's floor is one gallon per person per day, and our water calculator turns your household size into an exact number in about a minute. Add shelf-stable food you actually eat, medications, batteries, and a radio that doesn't need the grid. Do this at the start of the season, not when a storm has a name — a watch gives you 48 hours at most, and you'll want them for the house, not the store.
Bring in anything the wind can throw — patio furniture, trash cans, anything loose — and put up real window protection if you have it, like shutters or plywood. Then handle the paper side: the NWS puts reviewing your insurance on its hurricane checklist, because after the storm is the worst time to learn what your policy doesn't cover. Put policies, IDs, and key documents somewhere waterproof you can grab.
A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible — the NHC issues it about 48 hours before dangerous winds could arrive. A warning means they're expected, about 36 hours out. Treat the watch as your signal to finish preparing, and the warning as your signal to be where you plan to ride out the storm. And don't anchor on the category number: it measures wind, while most of the danger is water.
If your zone is told to evacuate, go — early and calmly, before the weather arrives. Evacuation orders are about storm surge, and per the NWS, surge is the deadliest part of a hurricane. Leaving feels like a big decision; it's really just a drive to somewhere safer, taken a few hours early. Bring your documents, medications, chargers, and enough for a few nights.
Stay inside and away from windows, in a small interior room on the lowest floor that won't flood. Keep your phone charged and a radio on for official updates. If flooding threatens despite the forecast, move to a higher floor and keep listening for instructions.
If the sky suddenly clears mid-storm, that can be the eye — the calm center. The other half of the storm arrives behind it, often quickly and from the opposite direction. Stay put until officials say it's over, not until it sounds over.
Never drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down; a foot can float most cars. Depth is nearly impossible to judge from behind the wheel, especially in rain and dark. If a road is covered, turn around.
If you evacuated, come back when officials say the route and your area are safe — not when the rain stops. Per the NWS, flooding from heavy rain is the second leading cause of hurricane deaths, and rivers can keep rising after the storm has moved on. Watch for downed power lines and treat every one as live.
If you run a portable generator, run it outside — always — at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from windows, doors, and vents. Generator exhaust is carbon monoxide, and it kills people every single year. Never run one in a garage, even with the door open.
The outage rules apply: an unopened fridge keeps food safe for about 4 hours, and a full freezer holds for 48. Toss anything perishable that's been above 40°F for more than two hours. If officials say the water system was affected, use your stored water until they say the tap is safe again.
Photograph everything before you move or fix it — wide shots and close-ups both. Contact your insurer early, and keep receipts for anything you buy for repairs. Then pace yourself: recovery takes longer than the storm, and it isn't a race.
The category number measures wind, so wind gets the attention. But per the NWS, storm surge is historically the deadliest part of a hurricane, and rain flooding is second. If your plan is all plywood and no evacuation zone, it's aimed at the wrong threat.
A watch arrives about 48 hours ahead, a warning about 36. That's enough time to execute a plan — it's not enough to invent one. The before list on this page is a calm-weekend job; the days before landfall are for finishing, not starting.
A house can be repaired around you, but storm surge rises fast, and no one can reach you at the height of the storm. If officials call for your zone to leave, that call has already weighed the option of staying. Go.
It's the same mistake after the storm as during it. A foot of moving water can float most cars, and a covered road can hide a washed-out one underneath. Turn around — every route has an alternative that doesn't involve finding out.
Budget
Evaluated for household use · Affiliate links disclosed
Holds up to 100 gallons in your existing bathtub
Why we chose it
No extra storage space is required since it uses your existing bathtub. Useful for households that want high-volume water capacity ahead of a storm, without permanent storage drums.
Buy From
WalmartRead the full reviewAffiliate links · We earn a small commission at no cost to you. How this works
We evaluate every pick for real-world reliability.
Mid-range
Evaluated for household use · Affiliate links disclosed
NOAA weather alerts, hand crank, solar, and USB phone charging in one unit
Why we chose it
Its NOAA alert mode wakes you automatically during warnings, and three power sources mean it works when everything else has failed.
Buy From
MidlandRead the full reviewAffiliate links · We earn a small commission at no cost to you. How this works
We evaluate every pick for real-world reliability.