Home Prep List

Routine maintenance should be handled well before tropical-storm conditions are possible.

• Review your homeowners, renters, windstorm, and flood insurance coverage.
• Photograph or record a video inventory of your home and valuable belongings.
• Store insurance information, receipts, serial numbers, and property records where you can retrieve them after a storm.
• Identify how you will protect every vulnerable window and exterior door.
• Label shutters or protective panels so they can be installed quickly.
• Inspect the roof for loose shingles, damaged flashing, and visible leaks.
• Clear gutters, downspouts, drains, and areas where water collects.
• Have weak, dead, or overhanging tree limbs evaluated and trimmed by a qualified professional.
• Learn how to shut off your home’s electricity, water, and gas if officials or utility providers instruct you to do so.
• Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Check the expiration dates on fire extinguishers and replace damaged or expired units.
• Test your generator according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Arrange an outdoor generator location at least 20 feet from the house, with exhaust directed away from windows, doors, and vents.
• Store generator fuel outdoors in approved containers and away from living areas.
• Confirm that your hurricane supplies are complete and accessible.
• Know your evacuation zone, evacuation routes, and nearest appropriate shelter.

Complete outdoor work before winds and heavy rain arrive. Never go outside during dangerous conditions to retrieve an item you forgot.

• Install hurricane shutters or approved window protection.
• Do not place tape across windows. Tape does not prevent glass from breaking and can create larger pieces of dangerous debris.
• Lock exterior doors and confirm that they close securely.
• Reinforce the garage door using an approved system designed for that door.
• Bring patio furniture, grills, planters, decorations, toys, tools, and other loose objects inside.
• Remove hanging plants, flags, wind chimes, and lightweight outdoor fixtures.
• Secure items that cannot be brought indoors.
• Move trash and recycling containers into a garage or other enclosed location.
• Disconnect garden hoses and store them where they will remain accessible.
• Clear storm drains and drainage paths without pushing debris into public drainage systems.
• Move vehicles away from trees, power lines, low-lying areas, and locations prone to flooding.
• Park inside a structurally sound garage when appropriate, but never operate a generator or fuel-burning equipment inside that garage.
• Take current photographs of the roof, exterior walls, windows, doors, vehicles, and outdoor property.

Focus on keeping people away from windows, protecting essential belongings, and making the home usable during an outage.

• Close and lock all windows and exterior doors.
• Close interior doors to help limit flying debris if part of the home is damaged.
• Choose a small interior room on the lowest level that is not at risk of flooding.
• Keep your emergency supplies, shoes, flashlights, helmets, and weather radio near the selected safe area.
• Move valuable belongings and electronics away from windows and exterior doors.
• Raise important items above floor level if water intrusion is possible.
• Place documents, medications, electronics, and irreplaceable items in waterproof containers.
• Use towels and containers to manage minor known leaks, but do not rely on them as protection against flooding.
• Remove fragile objects from shelves and other places where they could fall.
• Make sure hallways, exits, and the route to your safe area remain clear.
• Set the air conditioning to a comfortable temperature before a likely power outage.
• Wash essential clothing, towels, and bedding while electricity and water remain available.
• Complete necessary household cleaning and take out the trash before conditions deteriorate.

Flashlights and battery-powered lights are safer than candles during an outage.

• Charge phones, tablets, power banks, rechargeable lights, radios, and medical equipment.
• Place flashlights where they can be reached easily in the dark.
• Install fresh batteries in flashlights, lanterns, and weather radios.
• Keep spare batteries together in a dry location.
• Test portable power stations and confirm that the necessary charging cables are available.
• Unplug nonessential electronics when power fluctuations become likely.
• Use surge protection where appropriate, but understand that a surge protector cannot prevent every type of storm damage.
• Keep a working ABC fire extinguisher accessible.
• Never connect a portable generator directly to a household outlet.
• Use a professionally installed transfer switch if the generator will power household circuits.
• Never operate a generator inside a home, garage, shed, carport, porch, or partially enclosed space.
• Allow a generator to cool before adding fuel.
• Stop using any lithium-ion battery that becomes unusually hot, swells, leaks, hisses, smokes, or produces a strong odor. Move away from it and call 911 if it presents an immediate fire risk.

Loss of electricity or a boil-water notice can interrupt access to safe food and drinking water.

• Store at least one gallon of drinking water per person per day for several days.
• Increase the amount for hot weather, pregnancy, illness, medical needs, and physical activity.
• Store additional water for pets.
• Fill clean food-safe containers with drinking water.
• Do not treat water stored in a bathtub as drinking water. Reserve it for flushing toilets or cleaning.
• Freeze containers of water to help keep refrigerators, freezers, and coolers cold.
• Turn the refrigerator and freezer to their coldest practical settings before the storm.
• Group frozen foods together so they remain cold longer.
• Place appliance thermometers inside the refrigerator and freezer.
• Avoid opening refrigerator and freezer doors unnecessarily during an outage.
• Have coolers and ice packs ready for medication and essential food.
• Stock food that can be eaten without refrigeration or cooking.
• Include a manual can opener.
• Account for allergies, dietary restrictions, infants, older adults, and medical diets.
• Discard food that has come into contact with floodwater.
• When uncertain about whether refrigerated food remained safe, throw it away.

Do not wait until the final day before a storm to address essential medical supplies.

• Refill prescriptions as early as permitted.
• Keep medications in their original labeled containers.
• Prepare a written medication list with names, dosages, prescribing doctors, and pharmacy information.
• Store copies of identification and health insurance information with the medication list.
• Protect medications from heat, moisture, and direct sunlight.
• Create a safe cooling plan for refrigerated medication.
• Contact your pharmacy, medical provider, or medication manufacturer if you are unsure how long a medication can remain outside its recommended temperature range.
• Charge powered mobility equipment, hearing devices, communication equipment, and medical devices.
• Arrange backup power for essential medical equipment.
• Contact oxygen, dialysis, home-health, and medical-equipment providers before a storm threatens.
• Pack a basic first-aid kit, sanitation supplies, insect repellent, sunscreen, and protective masks.
• Keep extra eyeglasses, contact-lens supplies, hearing-aid batteries, and other personal medical items available.

You may need to prove your identity, document damage, contact an insurer, or pay for unexpected travel after the storm.

• Protect identification, insurance policies, property records, medical information, and vehicle documents in a waterproof container.
• Save secure digital copies where they can be accessed away from home.
• Photograph important documents as an additional backup.
• Record insurance claim telephone numbers and policy numbers.
• Keep an updated household inventory with photographs or video.
• Save contact information for family members, doctors, insurers, utilities, and emergency services.
• Keep some cash in small denominations in case card systems and ATMs are unavailable.
• Protect checks, credit cards, spare keys, and emergency contact information.
• Never publish photographs that expose account numbers, addresses, identification numbers, or other private information.

Internet and cellular service may become unreliable during or after a hurricane.

• Enable emergency alerts on every household phone.
• Bookmark the National Hurricane Center and local emergency-management websites.
• Keep a battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio available.
• Write down important telephone numbers in case phones cannot access saved contacts.
• Choose an out-of-area contact who can help relay information.
• Tell family members where you will shelter or evacuate.
• Decide how everyone will reconnect if separated.
• Keep charging cables, vehicle chargers, and backup batteries together.
• Use text messages when cellular networks are congested, since texts may go through when calls do not.
• Confirm that older adults, neighbors, and anyone needing assistance have a reliable way to receive warnings.

Pets should be included in every sheltering and evacuation decision.

• Bring pets indoors before conditions deteriorate.
• Check identification tags and microchip contact information.
• Keep leashes, harnesses, carriers, and crates accessible.
• Store several days of pet food and water.
• Pack medications, vaccination records, waste bags, litter, and comfort items.
• Place a current photograph of each pet with its records.
• Identify pet-friendly shelters, hotels, boarding facilities, and evacuation destinations.
• Do not leave pets chained or unattended outside.
• Keep frightened animals separated when necessary.
• Include service-animal supplies and documentation in the household plan.

Your vehicle may be needed even if you initially plan to remain home.

• Fill the fuel tank before shortages and long lines develop.
• Check the tires, spare tire, battery, fluids, lights, and windshield wipers.
• Remove unnecessary items to create room for passengers and essential supplies.
• Load emergency equipment without blocking visibility or creating unsecured projectiles.
• Keep vehicle keys, documents, chargers, and toll-payment methods accessible.
• Park away from flood-prone areas, trees, and power lines.
• Face the vehicle toward the safest exit when practical.
• Review the complete Vehicle Prep List before a storm threatens.

Do not wait for hurricane-force winds to complete these steps.

• Review the latest forecast and local emergency instructions.
• Confirm whether your home is in an evacuation zone or flood-prone area.
• Complete shutters and outdoor preparation.
• Bring every household member and pet inside.
• Move emergency supplies into an accessible location.
• Charge all remaining devices.
• Fill clean drinking-water containers.
• Set refrigerators and freezers to their coldest practical settings.
• Prepare the interior safe area.
• Put on sturdy shoes and keep additional clothing nearby.
• Confirm that flashlights and the weather radio work.
• Send your location and plans to your designated contact.
• Move to the safe area before conditions become dangerous.
• Shut off utilities only when instructed by emergency officials or the utility provider.
• Leave immediately if an evacuation order applies to your location.

• Remain indoors and away from windows, skylights, and exterior doors.
• Use the selected interior safe area when wind or tornado warnings make it necessary.
• Continue monitoring official alerts.
• Do not go outside during a sudden period of calm. The eye of the hurricane may be passing, and dangerous winds can return from the opposite direction.
• Do not operate grills, generators, camp stoves, or fuel-burning devices indoors.
• Avoid rooms where water is entering near electrical outlets or appliances.
• Move to a higher level if flooding enters the home, but do not enter a sealed attic without a way to escape to the roof.
• Call 911 for immediate life-threatening emergencies.

The end of the wind does not mean every danger has passed.

• Wait for official confirmation that conditions are safe before going outside.
• Watch for downed power lines, unstable trees, broken glass, damaged structures, gas leaks, wildlife, and contaminated floodwater.
• Do not enter a severely damaged building until authorities say it is safe.
• Photograph damage before moving or discarding items when conditions allow.
• Contact the appropriate utility immediately if you smell gas or suspect electrical damage.
• Continue using generators outdoors and at least 20 feet from the home.
• Check refrigerator and freezer temperatures before keeping perishable food.
• Follow boil-water notices and local water-use instructions.
• Wear sturdy shoes, gloves, eye protection, and appropriate respiratory protection during cleanup.
• Keep children and pets away from damaged or flooded areas.
• Use licensed and insured contractors, and be cautious about demands for large cash payments.
• Save receipts for emergency repairs, temporary housing, supplies, and storm-related expenses.
• Contact your insurer before making permanent repairs unless immediate work is necessary to prevent additional damage.

Home preparation is only one part of a complete hurricane plan.

Use the Vehicle Prep List to prepare your transportation and roadside supplies.

Use the Evacuation List to organize your destination, routes, documents, medications, family supplies, and final departure checks.

Return to Hurricane Bug Out Checklists for the complete hurricane-season master checklist.