A good hurricane preparedness checklist covers five things: know your evacuation zone, build a supply kit, make a family plan, get your home and car ready, and know when to leave. Do it before the season starts. If officials order you to evacuate, go. Call 911 if anyone's life is in danger.
The CDC says hurricane season starts on May 15 in the north Pacific and June 1 in the Atlantic and the Caribbean. The National Weather Service says the best time to prepare is before the season begins on June 1, so the work is done before a storm is on the map.
Don't skip this because you live away from the beach. The CDC notes that hurricanes can cause damage hundreds of miles from the shore.
Hurricane watch: hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 mph or higher) are possible in a stated area. The CDC says watches are announced 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected to start.
Hurricane warning: hurricane-force winds are expected. Warnings are issued 36 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected in the area.
A simple rule: treat a watch as your signal to finish the checklist below, not to start it.
This checklist is an example built from CDC and National Weather Service advice. It is not an official list, so adapt it to your home and your local guidance.
Know your zone. Find out if you live in an evacuation area by contacting your local government or emergency management office (NWS).
Plan your way out. Locate the nearest shelter and more than one route to get there from your home (CDC).
Write down emergency numbers. Keep them on the refrigerator or near every phone in the house (CDC).
Make a family emergency plan. Decide how you'll contact each other, where you'll go and what you'll do, and keep a copy in your supply kit (NWS). Our sister site's family emergency plan checklist can help.
Review your insurance. Check that your policies give adequate coverage for your home and personal property (NWS).
Check your equipment. Test items such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters (NWS).
Plan for anyone who needs extra help. If you or a loved one is older or disabled and won't be able to leave quickly, the CDC says to get advice ahead of time by calling the hospital, public health department or police.
Power and water can be cut off, and roads can be blocked. The CDC's hurricane list includes:
An emergency food and water supply
An emergency medicine supply
Flashlights, with extra batteries
Important documents, including medical documents, wills, passports and personal identification
A fire extinguisher
Keep the documents together in one waterproof bag so you can grab them fast. For a fuller list, see our sister site's emergency kit checklist and go bag checklist.
Clear your yard. Make sure nothing could blow around and damage your home, such as bikes, patio furniture or grills.
Protect windows. Use storm shutters, or nail plywood to the outside window frames (CDC).
Store water. Fill clean containers with drinking water. You can also fill sinks and bathtubs with water for washing (CDC).
Check your carbon monoxide detector's battery to help prevent CO poisoning (CDC).
Get the car ready. Fill the gas tank and move cars and trucks into a garage or under cover (CDC). If you don't drive, arrange a ride now.
Review the plan with everyone in the house and keep checking storm updates.
The CDC is blunt: never ignore an order to evacuate. Then:
Grab your supply kit and take only what you really need, such as your cell phone, chargers, medicines, identification and cash.
Unplug your appliances. If you have time, turn off the gas, electricity and water.
Follow the routes local officials give you.
Never drive through flooded areas. The CDC says cars can be swept away or stall in just 6 inches of moving water.
If you or someone with you is trapped or hurt, call 911.
Keep your supply kit where you can reach it, and listen to the radio or TV for updates.
Stay away from windows. The CDC suggests a room with no windows, or a closet.
Don't be fooled by a calm spell. The CDC warns that weather can get calm in the middle of a storm and then quickly get bad again, so stay inside until officials say the storm is over.
Be ready to leave if officials tell you to or your home is damaged.
Wait for official word before going out or heading home.
Keep avoiding flooded roads. The 6-inch warning still applies.
Your tap water may not be safe. If officials say to boil it and you don't have bottled water, the CDC says to bring clear water to a rolling boil for 1 minute (3 minutes above 6,500 feet), let it cool, and store it in clean, covered containers.
If the power is out, our sister site's power outage checklist covers the next steps.
Call 911 for any injury or emergency.
Before it starts. The National Weather Service says the best time is before hurricane season begins on June 1. In the north Pacific, the CDC says the season starts on May 15.
A watch means hurricane conditions are possible and comes about 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected. A warning means hurricane-force winds are expected and comes about 36 hours before those winds arrive.
Your supply kit plus the essentials: phone, chargers, medicines, ID such as a passport or license, and cash. Don't waste time packing extras.
Contact your local government or emergency management office. Do it now, not when a storm is already coming.
Family Ready: Emergency Plan is a free iPhone app, with optional paid upgrades, that has a household plan with sections for contacts, documents, insurance, home, pets and more. Its editable emergency kit checklist is based on Ready.gov and Get Prepared guidance, and its free Emergency Card opens without internet. It does not replace emergency services, so always follow evacuation orders from local officials.
Get Family Ready free on the App Store