Skip to content

Hurricane preparedness plan

This page helps you build a hurricane preparedness plan before the season starts. It covers the five decisions every household should make by June 1 and points you to the detailed guides in this section.

Why plan before the season

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30. Once a storm is on the map, stores empty, roads fill, and decisions get rushed. Planning in a calm month gives you time to think, shop slowly, and talk with your family without pressure.

A plan does not need to be long. Most of it fits on a single sheet of paper. What matters is that everyone in your home knows it and that the pieces you need are already in place.

If you only do three things

  1. Find out whether you live in an evacuation zone and write the zone letter or number where everyone can see it.
  2. Decide today where you would go if officials told your zone to leave.
  3. Take photos of every room in your home and store them somewhere outside the house.

Five things to settle before June 1

1. Know your zone

Evacuation zones are based on storm surge risk, not on how sturdy your house is. Your local emergency office sets them. Look up yours, learn your route out, and check whether anyone you care for lives in a zone too. See Know your hurricane evacuation zone.

2. Have a plan

Write down where you will go if you stay, if you evacuate nearby, and if you evacuate far. Pick an out of area contact and a check in time. Put the plan on paper and on every phone in the family. See Make a family emergency plan.

3. Build a kit

Gather water, food, medicine, light, and power for at least several days. Pack a smaller go bag you can grab in minutes. Our hurricane supply list walks through both.

4. Protect your documents and insurance

Many standard homeowners and renters policies do not cover flooding. Review your coverage while there is still time to change it. Put copies of your important papers in a waterproof bag and in encrypted digital storage. See Hurricane insurance and important documents.

5. Prepare the home

Check your roof, trim trees, clear gutters, and decide how you will cover windows. Learn where the water, gas, and electrical shutoffs are. See Prepare your home for a hurricane.

Before June 1 checklist

  • Looked up my evacuation zone and wrote it down
  • Chose where we would go for each scenario
  • Picked an out of area contact and shared the number
  • Built or restocked the supply kit
  • Packed a go bag for each person and pet
  • Reviewed insurance, including flood coverage
  • Photographed every room and stored the photos off site
  • Gathered documents into a waterproof bag
  • Checked the roof, trees, gutters, and window coverings
  • Registered for a special needs shelter if anyone in the home needs one

Guides in this section