Where Should You Go During a Hurricane Evacuation?

The best hurricane evacuation destination is not always the farthest place you can reach.

It is a location outside the area being evacuated, away from the hazards threatening your home and suitable for everyone traveling with you.

For some households, that may be a family member’s home a few miles inland. Others may need a hotel, public shelter, special-needs shelter or destination in another part of Florida.

The important thing is to decide where you could go before a storm threatens.

Your plan should include:

• A primary destination
• At least one backup destination
• More than one route
• A way to confirm that each location is still available
• A plan for every person and pet traveling with you

Knowing where you are going reduces last-minute uncertainty and helps you determine when to leave, which route to take and what supplies you will need.

Before selecting a destination, understand why you might need to leave.

Florida evacuation orders are generally based on threats such as storm surge, flooding, unsafe structures and mobile or manufactured homes. They are not simply based on the hurricane’s category.

Use the Florida Division of Emergency Management’s Know Your Zone, Know Your Home resource to identify your evacuation zone. Your county emergency management agency should remain your primary source for local evacuation orders and shelter information.

If officials order your area to evacuate, your destination must be outside the ordered area. Do not assume that moving to another home within the same evacuation zone provides enough protection.

Review when you should evacuate for a hurricane and decide what conditions will trigger your departure.

Most hurricane evacuation plans use one of five destination types.

Staying with someone you trust may be the simplest and most comfortable option.

Before including a home in your plan, confirm that it is:

• Outside the evacuation area
• Away from storm-surge and serious flood risks
• Structurally suitable for the expected conditions
• Large enough for your household
• Able to accommodate children, older adults and pets
• Accessible to anyone with mobility limitations
• Reachable by more than one route

Talk with your host before hurricane season. Discuss sleeping arrangements, parking, pets, medications, food and how long you might need to stay.

Do not arrive unexpectedly unless there is no safer alternative.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management notes that staying with friends or family outside the evacuation zone or in a stronger home may be the safest and easiest option for many residents.

A hotel can provide privacy, beds, bathrooms and greater comfort than a public shelter. It may also allow you to remain closer to home than an out-of-state destination.

Hotel rooms can disappear quickly when a hurricane threatens, so identify several possibilities in advance.

When evaluating a hotel, ask:

Is it outside the expected evacuation area?
Is it in a flood-prone location?
Does it accept pets?
Is backup power available?
Are elevators required to reach the room?
Can the reservation be changed if the storm shifts?
How long can you remain if returning home is delayed?
Are food, fuel and medical services nearby?

A reservation does not eliminate the need for a backup plan. Hotels may close, lose power, become inaccessible or fall within a newly expanded evacuation area.

Call the property before leaving to confirm that it remains open and your reservation is active.

Public shelters provide protection when you do not have another safe place to go. They should not be expected to provide the comfort, privacy or services of a hotel.

Shelters may offer limited personal space, and you may need to bring your own:

• Water and food
• Bedding
• Medications
• Hygiene supplies
• Flashlights
• Chargers and power banks
• Identification
• Important documents
• Clothing
• Supplies for children

Shelters open according to the needs of each emergency. A building used during one hurricane may not open during the next.

Never travel to a shelter based only on an old list or saved map. Confirm that it is open, has space and accepts your household’s needs before leaving. The Florida Division of Emergency Management maintains a statewide shelter information index with links to county shelter resources.

A general public shelter may not be appropriate for someone who depends on medical equipment, electricity, oxygen, mobility assistance or help with daily activities.

Special-needs shelters provide additional support, but they are not hospitals and may not offer continuous bedside nursing or advanced medical care.

Registration requirements vary by county. Do not wait until an evacuation order is issued to begin the process.

Contact your county emergency management agency before hurricane season to determine:

• Who qualifies
• Whether preregistration is required
• What medical documentation is needed
• Whether a caregiver must accompany the resident
• Which equipment and medications to bring
• Whether transportation assistance is available
• How service animals and pets are handled

Use the Hurricane Bug Out Special Needs and Medical guide to build additional time and support into your evacuation plan.

Not every public shelter accepts household pets. Those that do may require vaccination records, identification, carriers, leashes, food, water, medications and cleaning supplies.

Pet owners are usually responsible for caring for their animals while sheltering.

Confirm local requirements in advance and identify more than one pet-friendly option. Do not assume your pet will be permitted to remain beside you in the main sleeping area.

Service animals are handled differently from household pets, but you should still confirm procedures with the shelter or county emergency management agency.

Review the Family and Pets guide before finalizing your destination.

There is no fixed number of miles inland that guarantees safety. Choose the nearest suitable destination outside the evacuation area, following local instructions. In Florida, that may mean traveling tens of miles rather than hundreds. Check that your destination and route are clear of expected flooding and that the building can withstand the forecast conditions. Storm surge can extend miles inland, and inland areas can also flood from heavy rain.

Determine whether you are leaving because of storm surge, flooding, wind vulnerability, an unsafe structure or another local threat.

Your destination must remove you from that threat.

A distant destination creates more opportunities for congestion, road closures, fuel problems and mechanical trouble.

Compare your primary and alternate routes using the Hurricane Bug Out Evacuation Routes guide.

Make sure the destination is not exposed to a different part of the storm.

A location farther inland may reduce storm-surge risk but could still experience hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, flooding or power outages. Check the forecast for your destination and the entire route, not only your home.

The goal is to reach a safer location, not simply to cross a county or state line.

A destination that works for one household may be unsafe or unrealistic for another.

Consider whether anyone traveling with you needs:

• Refrigerated medication
• Powered medical equipment
• Oxygen
• Dialysis
• Mobility assistance
• Accessible bathrooms
• A caregiver
• Frequent rest stops
• Infant supplies
• A quiet environment
• Space for multiple pets

Also consider the emotional and physical strain of a long trip. Young children, older adults, pets and people with medical conditions may need more frequent stops and additional travel time.

Select a destination that your household can realistically reach and use.

Do not depend on one address.

This should be the place you expect to use under normal evacuation conditions.

Examples include:

• A relative’s home
• A friend’s home
• A reserved hotel
• A regional destination outside the evacuation area

Confirm the location, route and household requirements before hurricane season.

Use this if your preferred destination becomes unavailable or falls within the storm’s changing path.

Plan B should ideally use a different route or be located in another direction.

Identify how to find currently open public, pet-friendly or special-needs shelters.

Because shelter locations and availability change, your plan should identify the official information source rather than depending entirely on one building.

Write down the phone numbers and web addresses needed to confirm shelter status.

Conditions can change quickly.

Before departure, verify:

• Your destination remains outside the ordered evacuation area
• The property or shelter is open
• Your host or hotel is expecting you
• Your reservation is confirmed
• Pets are permitted
• Medical and accessibility needs can be accommodated
• Your planned route remains usable
• Fuel is available
• Local officials have not changed their instructions

Use FL511 to review current Florida traffic conditions, incidents, closures and congestion. Continue monitoring your county emergency management agency and the Hurricane Bug Out Real-Time Maps and Alerts page.

Do not begin driving toward a shelter until officials confirm that it is open.

Returning home may take longer than you anticipate.

Roads may remain closed. Floodwater may block access. Local authorities may restrict reentry while crews inspect damage, remove debris and restore essential services.

Prepare your destination plan for several days rather than one night.

Bring enough essential supplies to cover:

• Prescription medications
• Medical equipment
• Clothing
• Personal hygiene
• Infant care
• Pet care
• Charging needs
• Important documents
• Food and water during travel
• Unexpected expenses

Use the Hurricane Evacuation Car Kit guide to organize the supplies traveling with you.

Do not continue toward a destination simply because it was part of the original plan.

Change course if:

• The destination enters an evacuation area
• Your host can no longer accommodate you
• The hotel closes or cancels your reservation
• The shelter is full
• Roads become unsafe
• Flooding blocks the route
• The storm’s path shifts toward your destination
• Someone develops a medical need

Move to your backup destination while safe travel options remain.

If you are already traveling, stop in a safe location before changing routes. Do not attempt to adjust navigation, call hotels or search for shelters while driving.

A changed plan is not a failed plan. Flexibility is one of the reasons you prepared multiple options.

Before hurricane season, confirm:

• Primary destination selected
• Backup destination selected
• Emergency shelter information saved
• Evacuation zone identified
• Host contacted
• Hotel options researched
• Pet policies confirmed
• Medical needs addressed
• Transportation arranged
• Primary and alternate routes planned
• Contact information written down
• Destination reviewed with the household

Before departure, confirm:

• Evacuation instructions checked
• Destination remains safe
• Host, hotel or shelter contacted
• Route conditions checked
• Fuel or vehicle charge confirmed
• Medications and documents loaded
• Everyone knows where you are going
• Backup destination remains available

Where should you go during a hurricane evacuation?

Go to a confirmed location outside the area being evacuated and away from the hazards threatening your home. The destination should be strong enough for the expected conditions, reachable by a safe route and capable of supporting every person and pet traveling with you.

That could be a nearby family home, a hotel, a public shelter, a special-needs shelter or another safe regional destination.

You do not need the perfect destination.

You need a safe primary destination, a realistic backup and enough time to reach either one before conditions deteriorate.

Build the destination portion of your Evacuation Planning system now. Then review your Vehicle Readiness, fuel plan and evacuation routes so your household is prepared to leave when necessary.

Once you have a destination, use the checklists on our Free Essentials Kit page to prepare your home, vehicle and evacuation supplies.