How-To Series

New to hurricane preparedness?

Begin with the decisions and supplies that form the foundation of your preparedness system:

• Start Here for a simple introduction to hurricane preparedness.
• Prepare for a Hurricane to understand local hazards and decide whether to remain home, evacuate or prepare for both possibilities.
• Evacuation Planning to choose destinations, departure triggers and alternate routes.
• Free Hurricane Bug Out Essentials Kit to begin organizing essential household supplies.
• Checklists and Downloads for practical preparation lists you can complete at your own pace.

You do not have to prepare for everything at once.

A bug out bag should solve realistic evacuation problems, not become a collection of survival gadgets.

Use these guides to build a kit around your destination, transportation, household needs and ability to carry it safely:

• Bug Out Bags explains what the bag should accomplish and how to avoid overpacking.
• Essentials Kit provides the foundation for water, food, lighting, communication, first aid, sanitation and important documents.
• Compact Kit helps households working with limited storage, smaller vehicles or lighter carrying requirements.
• Elite Loadout Guide covers a more comprehensive system with additional capacity and redundancy.
• Medical and Safety helps organize medication, first aid, medical records and household safety equipment.
• Family and Pets addresses the needs of children, older adults, people with disabilities, pets and service animals.

Choose supplies because they solve a documented need. Keep each kit organized, test its weight and review its contents before every hurricane season.

The best time to prepare your home is before a storm appears in the forecast.

Use these resources to protect the property and prepare for disrupted utilities:

• Home Preparation covers windows, doors, roofing, drainage, outdoor objects, utilities and final storm preparation.
• Bug In Preparation explains how to manage water, food, sanitation, heat, refrigeration and daily life without normal services.
• Power and Lighting helps you plan emergency lighting, charging, backup power and generator safety.
• Communications covers emergency alerts, household contacts, weather radios, offline information and backup communication.
• Home Prep List provides a practical checklist for completing the work.

Finish structural repairs and exterior work while conditions remain safe. Do not remain outside to complete preparation once wind, lightning or flooding becomes dangerous.

Your vehicle may become one of your most important emergency resources.

Prepare it before fuel lines, evacuation traffic and changing weather make routine problems harder to solve:

• Vehicle Preparation covers preventive maintenance, tires, batteries, fuel, emergency equipment and cargo planning.
• Vehicle Prep List provides a step-by-step inspection checklist.
• What to Keep in Your Car During Hurricane Season separates permanent roadside equipment from heat-sensitive grab-and-load supplies.
• Hurricane Evacuation Car Kit explains what to pack for the drive, unexpected delays and the first night away.
• When to Fill Your Gas Tank Before a Hurricane helps you avoid last-minute fuel lines and shortages.
• How Much Gas Do You Need for a Hurricane Evacuation? helps estimate fuel requirements and a reasonable safety margin.
• Where Should You Park Your Car During a Hurricane? covers flooding, debris, trees, structures and safer parking choices.
• Vehicle Readiness covers the final steps when a storm becomes a credible threat.

A prepared vehicle gives you options. Maintain it, fuel or charge it early and know how you will load it before departure becomes urgent.

Evacuation becomes easier when the major decisions have already been made.

Build a plan that includes more than one destination and more than one route:

• Evacuation Planning helps establish destinations, departure triggers and backup options.
• Evacuation Routes covers primary routes, alternate routes and changing road conditions.
• Gas, Food and Shelter helps locate the services you may need while traveling.
• Special Needs and Medical addresses medication, medical equipment, mobility and additional support requirements.
• Real-Time Maps and Alerts provides official sources for forecasts, evacuation information, traffic and road conditions.
• Evacuation List helps track documents, medication, transportation, pets, communication and final departure tasks.

Do not wait for an evacuation order to begin planning. An order should activate a plan that is already ready.

A hurricane can interrupt electricity, cellular service, refrigeration, medical equipment and normal communication.

Prepare backup systems around the functions your household cannot safely lose:

• Power and Lighting for emergency lighting, charging, generators and backup power.
• Communications for alerts, weather information, emergency contacts and offline backups.
• Medical and Safety for first aid, medication, medical devices, fire safety and carbon monoxide protection.
• Family and Pets for household members and animals requiring additional planning.
• Product Recommendations for equipment categories that support these systems.

Test unfamiliar equipment before hurricane season. Never operate a fuel-burning generator inside a home, garage, carport, shed or other enclosed or partially enclosed area.

Preparedness does not end when the wind stops.

Recovery may involve unsafe roads, damaged property, insurance claims, cleanup hazards, prolonged outages and emotional strain.

Use these resources to prepare for the next stage:

• Recover provides an overview of safe reentry, cleanup, insurance and community support.
• Reentry Guidance explains what to consider before returning to an affected area.
• Cleanup and Safety covers common hazards around damaged property.
• Insurance and Damage Tips helps organize photographs, records and claim information.
• Community Support covers assistance, neighbors and local recovery resources.
• Recovery Mindset addresses stress, decision fatigue, disrupted routines and the emotional effects of a hurricane.

Do not rush back simply because the storm has passed. Follow official reentry instructions and avoid flooded roads, downed power lines and unstable structures.

Future Hurricane Bug Out videos will demonstrate practical tasks from the guides above, including:

• Building emergency kits
• Organizing bug out bags
• Preparing homes and vehicles
• Packing an evacuation vehicle
• Planning routes and destinations
• Using backup power safely
• Testing preparedness equipment
• Documenting damage
• Beginning recovery safely

Each video will support a specific action rather than simply repeat written information.

Watch the tutorial.

Complete the task.

Check it off your preparedness list.

Then move to the next one.

Over time, those individual actions become a complete hurricane preparedness system.