Evacuation List

• Confirm that your destination is outside the area at risk and that your host, hotel or shelter is available.
• Check your county’s current evacuation order and shelter information. Shelter locations can change with each storm.
• Save the destination address and a backup route. Download offline maps in case service becomes unreliable.
• Let a trusted person know where you are going and when you expect to arrive.
• Check fuel or vehicle charge before departure. Plan for delays and possible changes to your route.

You may only need to travel to a safe place nearby. Florida emergency management advises choosing a practical destination outside the hazard rather than assuming you must drive hundreds of miles. If you expect to use a shelter, check its rules before leaving. Florida’s evacuation planning guidance can help you make these decisions.

Keep these together in a small, waterproof pouch or secure bag:

• Photo IDs, driver’s licenses and health insurance cards.
• Insurance policy details, a record of important account numbers and contact information for your insurer.
• Prescription list, essential medical information and emergency contacts.
• Vehicle registration and the address or confirmation for your destination.
• A secure digital backup of important records, with access available if your phone loses service.
• Payment cards and some cash in small bills.

Take documents you would need during an extended stay. Keep sensitive information secure; you do not need to carry every original document you own if a usable copy will do.

• Pack daily medications, inhalers and other essential supplies in their labeled containers when possible.
• Bring prescription details and contact information for your pharmacy and clinicians. Ask your pharmacist in advance about an emergency refill if you may run short.
• Bring glasses, contacts, hearing aids and their cases, supplies or spare batteries.
• Bring mobility aids and supplies for any medical equipment. Include charging cables and a plan for equipment that needs electricity.
• Pack a basic first aid kit and the hygiene items your household uses every day.

If someone needs an accessible or special needs shelter, check eligibility, registration and available services with your county before a storm. Florida’s shelter packing guidance explains additional considerations for medical equipment and daily needs.

Pack one easy-to-carry bag for each person where possible:

• A change of clothes, sturdy shoes and weather-appropriate layers.
• Toiletries, personal care items and supplies for infants or older adults.
• Phone, charging cable, charged power bank and a written contact list.
• Water and food for the journey, including anything needed for a special diet.
• A comfort item for a child or anyone who may need one.

Keep medicines, identification, phones and other essentials with you, rather than buried under luggage. If your destination is a shelter, verify what you can bring and how much space is available.

• Pack drinking water and ready-to-eat food for the trip, with extra for unexpected delays.
• Keep a broader emergency supply kit ready for disruptions at your destination. FEMA’s emergency supply list calls for at least three days of nonperishable food and one gallon of water per person per day for at least three days. Adjust for heat, medical needs and pets.
• Charge phones and power banks. Bring charging cables and a vehicle charger.
• Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank radio if you have one, along with the supplies it needs.
• Know how your family will communicate if calls or data service fail.

• Bring each animal’s carrier or crate, leash, collar and identification.
• Pack food, water, bowls, medications, cleanup supplies and familiar bedding or a comfort item.
• Keep vaccination and veterinary records accessible.
• Confirm that your destination accepts your animals. Check current county shelter rules rather than assuming a general shelter will accept pets.

Florida’s pet evacuation guidance recommends arranging a safe destination before a disaster. Include your animals in the plan from the start.

• Put fuel in the vehicle or charge it before stations and chargers become crowded.
• Load bags so the driver can see clearly and the items you may need first remain accessible.
• Bring the vehicle’s keys, registration, roadside assistance details and a way to pay for fuel or charging.
• Check your route, weather and local road information shortly before departure.

Use the Hurricane Evacuation Car Kit for the detailed vehicle supply list. If you encounter a flooded road or barricade, turn around. The National Weather Service warns that floodwater can conceal road damage and other hazards.

If there is time and conditions are safe:

• Confirm everyone is accounted for, including pets.
• Take medications, identification, keys, wallets and phones.
• Photograph your home’s condition and secure doors and windows as appropriate.
• Follow local officials’ and your utility provider’s instructions about any utility shutoff. Do not improvise a gas shutoff during departure.
• Tell your contact person that you are leaving, then lock the door.

Final grab list: People. Pets. Medications. IDs and documents. Phones and chargers. Keys and wallets. Destination address.

Once you are on the road, follow official instructions and adjust your route if conditions change. Do not drive through floodwater. Return only when local authorities permit reentry and your route is safe.

For the decisions leading up to departure, use Evacuation Planning. For a broader household preparedness guide, visit the Hurricane Bug Out Essentials Kit.