Everyone prepares for hurricane season. But what does the ultimate hurricane kit look like?
If you’re a seasoned Floridian, you know that now is the time to prepare your hurricane kit! You probably have most of what you need, but this is a good opportunity for you to take stock of anything you’re missing.
If this is your first hurricane season in Florida, it can be stressful and confusing. But once you’re prepared for whatever comes our way this year, you’ll be ready to handle just about anything.
Related article: How To Prepare For A Hurricane Step-By-Step
We’ll be going over everything in this article, both big and small, and we’ll even link you to some of our favorites throughout the article. And we also have a one-page hurricane kit checklist that you can find at the end of the article! Scroll all the way down, print this out, and put it on your fridge if you’d like. It’s completely free, easy to read, and contains most of what we’ll be discussing here.
This article isn’t all-inclusive; no article can possibly cover everything. But you may find items on there that you don't personally need. Or you might have additional needs that aren't addressed by this checklist. This should serve as an extensive guideline for what you need to survive and thrive in the event of a deadly storm. Please use your best judgment and as
many educational resources as you can in order to protect yourself, your family, and your property this year.
The first aid kit.
One of the most important things to always have in your home is a first aid kit. Even without a hurricane, there’s obviously a lot of benefit from having a way of treating injuries in a pinch.
There are many different first aid kits you can find online, but you should make sure to have the following items specifically for hurricane season:
Pain relievers (like ibuprofen or acetaminophen)
Anti-diarrhea medication (cross your fingers that you don’t need these)
Medications for common illnesses (e.g. cough medicine)
Family planning (unless a hurricane baby is the plan)
If you have a first aid kit already, check and see if anything needs to be topped off. Many people grab their bandages and gloves from their first aid kits when they need them, so unless you refill them with new ones, you might be in trouble if a storm hits.
Also make sure to include any prescription medication you or your family might need. The aftermath of a hurricane is not the ideal time to run out of potentially life-saving medicine.
For common drugs such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and antacids, most people are familiar with the most common brands names (Advil, Tylenol, and Tums, respectively). But generic brand drugs do the exact same thing without the price tag that goes with a brand. Don't be afraid of generic medication; they provide the same relief at a lower cost.
Safety and hygiene.
These are the important items that you 100% must have in your hurricane kit no matter what. Safety and hygiene should always be taken into consideration. The reason that many Floridians don’t panic during hurricane season is because they always have these in their homes in case of emergency. And the good news is that you probably have most of these already!
Have the following items on standby:
We cannot stress enough the importance of a fire extinguisher. Most extinguishers must be recharged after using them for even a second, but that’s a small price to pay to put out a potentially disastrous fire. You can get them surprisingly cheap (or if you’re really on a budget, get an extinguishing aerosol spray), but these cheaper ones aren’t designed to put out every fire. ABC fire extinguishers are a little more expensive, but can put out any type of fire you come across.
If you wear contact lenses, make sure to have a box or two per person in your home. Trying to get a refill in the aftermath of a hurricane isn’t going to be particularly easy or quick.
Food and drink.
You have to eat and drink. That’s not optional, so this isn’t the place to cut costs. Figure out how many people you’d expect to have in your home and budget for food and water accordingly.
Get the following before a storm is projected to make landfall near you:
Most of this stuff should be stocked in your kitchen anyway, but you don’t want to be frantically running around for water purification tablets last-minute.
A lot of these items are useful in particular if you lose water or electricity. Without water, washing dishes becomes a luxury; disposable plates circumvent that whole issue. And some of you need coffee to survive, so a percolator can make coffee on a gas grill or portable stove top. (Instant coffee and non-dairy creamer also work here, as does iced coffee.)
You'll notice that the above list didn't specify any food. That's because most food perishes, making your food choices highly dependent on your family's needs.
Most people know which non-perishable foods they'll need for themselves and their families, but don't underestimate the value of snacks in a storm. Try to avoid snacks that go stale (like most snacks with carbs) or that melt (like power bars or certain granola bars). Fresh fruit is a great snack that will last a few days, but canned fruit lasts a lot longer. Use your best judgment here.
You should also avoid bulk bags of chips or pretzels. Humidity can destroy snacks in open packages. Opt for individual snack packs; they may be more expensive, but you only open one at a time and minimize risk of snacks getting ruined. (This applies to bread as well. Bread can get moldy after a few days, so consider individually wrapped stacks of crackers instead.)
Power and lighting.
Power going out is never a good thing. Losing your lights, air conditioning, technology, Internet, and ability to cook food can wear you down after a few days if a major hurricane hits. Taking care of your power situation before a storm develops can protect you and your family while avoiding the last-minute rush.
Some of this stuff can be expensive, so don’t invest in something against your better judgment. But all of this can come in handy for any disaster:
Gas (for cars and generators)
Fuel for folding stove and grill
Make sure your car tanks and generators are filled up with gas in case you need to evacuate or in case your home loses power. Most people wait to buy gas until the last minute, and if gas stations run out early, you're in trouble. However, there will be more than enough gas for you and everyone else so long as you act quickly and rationally; just get to your nearest station early (now is not the time to drive ten minutes away to save 5¢ per gallon), buy what you need, and don't use more than a reasonable amount.
(Pro tip: while you're at the gas station, top off your air pressure. It's usually free and only takes a few minutes.)
Utility.
There aren’t many things on this list, but they are all important and shouldn’t be overlooked:
Cash
Weather radar app
While you’re out getting gas, withdraw some extra cash from an ATM. The ATMs may be inaccessible during and after the storm, so get some cash and keep it someplace safe.
A good place to store paper money would be that waterproof container. but this container is great for more than just cash. In case your roof leaks or storm surge floods your property, you can protect your insurance policies (home, auto, health, and life), deeds, wills, social security cards, and a physical emergency contact list (which we discussed in this article). Some of these may find use immediately after the hurricane hits, so put this container in a safe space.
Related article: Create An Emergency Contacts List
When it comes to weather radar apps for your phone or tablet, you have a ton of different options depending on if you have iPhone, Android, or something else. The best app for you can also differ by location. Check your app store for "weather radar app" and see which one looks best for you and your needs.
Pet supplies.
Please take care of your pets, people. This should be self-explanatory, but unfortunately many homeowners don’t take the safety of their pets as seriously as they should during states of emergency. Maybe they’re not let into the house before the storm, maybe they get loose in the aftermath, or maybe their owner forgot to stock up on basic pet supplies.
You don’t need too much for them:
Pet food
Any medication they might need
Kiddie pool and sod
Once it’s clear that a large hurricane is heading toward your area, consider getting a kiddie pool and sod. You shouldn’t walk your dog in 100 MPH winds, so set these up in the garage so your dogs have an appropriate place to handle their business.
We didn’t put this on the list because it’s not really necessary, but now’s a good time to get them a new toy. Every animal reacts differently to bad weather, and a new toy might help distract them from what’s happening. Maybe some treats, too. (Our dog loves jerky, but your mileage may vary.)
Electronics and entertainment.
Some of these electronics are genuinely useful tools when you’re locked in your home. Others are just to keep you sane. After the COVID quarantine, we’ve learned how important it is to keep yourself entertained while you’re stuck at home.
You should have the following electronics in your kit:
Phone
Computer, laptop, or tablet
Make sure that you have a cable that connects your phone to your portable charger. Nothing stinks more than being low on battery and not having the correct charging cable. (Well, maybe being hit by a major hurricane is worse, but it’s a close call.)
Speaking of portable chargers, there are some really cool ones that have solar panels for passive charging in sunlight! They charge much more slowly in sunlight than they do via cable (and you can still charge them with cables if you'd like), but this could potentially give your phone an unlimited battery life until power comes back on.
For entertainment, you know what you like better than we do. Here’s what we always make sure we have in our home:
Board games (everybody has Monopoly already, so try something new)
Puzzles
Books, magazines, and comic
Toys for kids
Video game consoles and games
Please don’t buy a video game console solely for a hurricane; those are very big purchases and are absolutely not necessary for your kit. And most of the games aren’t cheap either. We have a few consoles already, so if a storm is coming, we might pick up a new game so we have something new to try out while we’re stuck at home. If you already have a Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, or XBOX, maybe consider a new game?
That’s it!
Well, saying “that’s it” makes it sound like there’s not much here. We’ve included dozens upon dozens of items to add to your kit, and that’s after we trimmed down the list! (For example, we floss every day. But if you’re like us, you already have more floss than you know what to do with.) And you likely have a bunch of this stuff already, so plenty of this may have just been review for you.
But we didn’t advertise this as just the bare necessities. This is the ultimate hurricane kit. We don’t just want to survive the hurricane while it’s trying to destroy us; we want to thrive through it. And reviewing your kit is almost as important as getting it! You need to know what you have, where it is, and why you have it, so hopefully this article helped you take stock.
Once again, there’s probably something you need that we didn’t include. And there’s definitely stuff on this list that you don’t need yourself. Use your best judgment when preparing your own hurricane kit and determine what’s best for your own household.
If you don’t want to read through this entire article while preparing for this hurricane season, you’ll find a one-page hurricane kit checklist below! You’ll also find our free hurricane newsletter (which includes the checklist) if you want the ultimate guide for the 2022 hurricane season.
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