Hurricane Preparedness: 16 Steps To Keep You and Your Home Safe

Implementing hurricane preparedness measures, such as shielding your windows, securing outdoor furniture and stockpiling emergency supplies, can reduce the risk of property damage or injury and help you weather the storm more smoothly. Hurricanes are powerful natural disasters that can rip out trees by their roots with strong winds or cause flooding in coastal areas, so it's critical to take precautions seriously.

Hurricane preparedness is the process of taking proactive measures to protect yourself, your home and your personal property from potential damage caused by hurricane-force winds and flooding.

Keep reading to learn hurricane preparedness tips, how to act during a hurricane and what to do after the storm has passed.

1. Know Your Hurricane Risk

Some ZIP codes, like those near coastlines or in inland areas susceptible to heavy rainfall, could face greater hurricane-caused threats, so it’s essential to understand your home’s risk level. Determine whether you live in a flood-prone area by reviewing FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center tool, which can inform you of your area’s flood zone designation.^[1] However, even if you live outside of a flood zone or your risk is low, there may still be potential flooding during a hurricane.^[2]

You should also review whether you live in a storm surge evacuation zone using local resources or FEMA, as this will inform you whether your home is deemed safe enough to shelter in place or the ideal evacuation route if a mandatory order is issued. You should also review your home’s stability during hurricanes, including whether your roof, windows and exterior doors are hurricane-resistant. Mobile homes and those with basements may be at greater risk of damage from high winds, flooding and storm surges.^[2]

2. Review Your Homeowners Insurance Policy

While standard homeowners insurance will likely cover your home from hurricanes and windstorms, you’ll want to ensure you have enough coverage to completely rebuild your home if it’s severely damaged during the storm.

Keep in mind that some insurance companies use a separate deductible for hurricane-related claims, especially in coastal states such as Maine and Texas.^[3] Hurricane deductibles are usually 1% to 5% of your dwelling coverage, which often means you pay more out of pocket for these hurricane property damage claims than non-hurricane claims.^[4]

Higher-value items, like jewelry, may need to be scheduled on your policy or covered by a separate policy to receive their full value if lost or damaged during a hurricane. If you’re forced out of your home due to a mandatory evacuation or damage, ensure your loss of use coverage limits are high enough to account for any hotel stays and food expenses while you can’t use your home.

3. Determine Whether You Need Flood Insurance

It’s important to note that your homeowners' insurance typically does not cover flood damage, and flooding occurs to different degrees during 90% of natural disasters.^[4] If your home is in an area where flooding may be significant, you may want to consider a separate policy for flood insurance, which you may already have if your lender requires it because you live in a high-risk flood zone.

4. Create a Home Inventory

Creating a home inventory can help you determine whether you have adequate coverage to protect your personal property and to make filing a claim easier, since you’ll already have determined an item’s value and how much it will cost to repair or replace. While you don’t need to inventory all of your possessions, it may be ideal to account for more expensive or difficult-to-replace items, such as:^[5]

• Furniture
• Appliances
• Electronics
• Clothing and footwear
• Jewelry and accessories
• Collector’s items
• Hobby equipment
• Fine art
• Fine kitchenware

Include a description of each high-value item, its brand, model, purchase date and price, among other identifying information to include in your inventory.

5. Build a Hurricane Emergency Supply Kit

Whether you plan to shelter in place or need to prepare to leave in the event of a mandatory evacuation, preparing a hurricane emergency kit, also called a go-bag, can help ensure you have essential items readily available at a moment’s notice. These kits should have enough supplies to last at least three days without assistance or restocking, as travel may not be safe even after the hurricane has passed. While you should customize your supply kit to fit you and your family’s needs, common items to consider include:^[6]

• One gallon of water per person per day for at least three days
• Several days' supply of nonperishable food
• Battery-powered or hand-cranked radio
• A NOAA Weather Radio for emergency alerts
• Flashlight with additional batteries
• First aid kit and basic healthcare supplies
• Whistle
• Face mask
• Cellphone with a battery backup
• Manual can opener

Ensure you keep food for your emergency supplies in a cool, dry place to prevent it from going bad, ideally in airtight plastic bags or containers. Replace any expired food or medical supplies as needed. Review your supply kit annually to determine if your needs have changed, such as including baby supplies if you’ve had a child.^[6]

6. Strengthen Your Roof

High winds and heavy rainfall can severely damage your roof, but there are ways to prepare in advance to make it more hurricane-resistant. You may want to consider upgrading your roof to impact-resistant shingles and reinforcing the seals where your roof intersects with walls, vents and chimneys. Improved drainage can help prevent heavy water from pooling on your roof, which could lead to leaks or breakage.^[7]

It may be worth having your roof inspected by a professional to safely assess any issues ahead of hurricane season.

7. Install Storm Shutters or Impact-Resistant Windows

Storm shutters, or hurricane shutters, help protect your windows against high winds and debris that hurricanes and tropical storms may hurl at them. Storm shutters are often made of metals like aluminum or steel, but can also be made of materials like polycarbonate or fiberglass. You may also be able to replace the standard glass in your windows with hurricane-rated glass.

While boarding up your windows with plywood is better than no protection, be aware that the boards can be yanked off by hurricane-level winds and become projectiles that could damage your home.

8. Secure Outdoor Property

Clean debris and secure any loose objects or outdoor furniture before a hurricane, as the intense hurricane-force winds can cause extensive damage. At their lowest strength, Category 1 hurricanes have wind speeds ranging from 74 to 95 mph, which can easily propel debris and other objects.^[8]

Potential debris, such as dead or dying trees and easily snapped branches, should be cleaned in advance, so ensure you check your yard for potential future hazards when considering the incoming winds.

9. Protect Important Documents

Any critical, difficult-to-replace paper documents, such as legal documents, birth certificates, and marriage licenses, should be stored in a waterproof container or a safe deposit box. If any walls are broken or windows are breached, wind and flooding could damage the inside of your home, and you may lose them if they aren’t safely secured. Take clear photographs or digital scans of all documents as a backup in case you are forced to evacuate your home and can’t take your documents.

10. Develop a Family Hurricane Emergency Plan

When developing a family hurricane emergency plan, you’ll need to decide where you and your household are going to evacuate:

1. Shelter in place inside your home. If you’re choosing to ride out a hurricane in your home, you should still prepare for a situation where you must leave after the immediate storm has passed, such as a tree falling through your roof or flooding.
2. Evacuate to a designated emergency shelter. Local authorities should issue evacuation notices when they’re mandatory and you’re forced to leave for a shelter. If you evacuate your home, you should wait for official notices that it’s safe to return home, as you run the risk of becoming injured due to remaining debris.
3. Evacuate to a safer location, such as a friend’s or relative’s home that is located more inland. Ensure you leave your home well before the storm approaches, and plan to stay until the hurricane has passed and it's deemed safe to return home, as traveling during hurricane conditions may become too dangerous.

If you have an elderly family member who can’t evacuate independently, designate someone to assist them, ideally with a backup if the primary assistant isn’t at home during evacuation. Likewise, ensure you account for pets and who will be responsible for them when planning your evacuation. You’ll likely be able to stay in contact with your local household if cellular data isn’t disrupted, but if not, it may be worth establishing an out-of-state contact who won’t be impacted by the hurricane.

11. Know Your Hurricane Evacuation Routes

You should research hurricane evacuation routes to designated shelter sites, including routes from locations other than your home, such as an office or frequently visited locations. While most hurricanes have advanced notice, you or other household members may be away from home when conditions become too dangerous to travel. Research multiple shelters, meeting locations and evacuation routes, as well as alternative routes, in case the storm separates you from the rest of your household and you must travel alone.

12. Prepare for Power Outages

A power outage could leave you unable to contact someone for help, keep businesses and services closed, or cause food to spoil faster than anticipated, so you should take steps to prepare for one.^[9] Keep extra batteries and ensure you’re stocked up on flashlights for your household to avoid any trips and falls in the dark. Similarly, you’ll want to have a working battery backup for cellular devices so you can contact emergency services if needed.

If your power goes out, keep your freezers and refrigerators closed to help prevent food from spoiling. Using gas appliances to heat or power your home can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, so only use a generator for power if it's outside and away from windows. Ensure all electronics and appliances are plugged into surge protectors or are disconnected; otherwise, they could be damaged by a power surge.^[9]

13. Protect Your Vehicle

Park your vehicle in a garage or under cover, as winds may blow debris more forcefully through car windows or cause scratches and dents. If you’re in an area that is at risk of flooding, it may be worth storing your car in a more inland location on higher ground to avoid water damage. Be aware that your homeowners insurance does not cover damage to your vehicle caused by hurricanes, flooding or fallen trees, so it may be worth getting comprehensive car insurance.^[10]

14. Document Your Property Before the Storm

Take photographs or videos of your property, including any existing damage. If your home becomes damaged due to a hurricane and you make a claim, you’ll need to show evidence of the extent of the damage and when it occurred; otherwise, your claim may be delayed or could be denied.

15. Understand the Hurricane Claims Process

The hurricane insurance claims process typically follows these steps:

1. You’ll want to check your property for any damage and document it through photos and written descriptions.
2. Review your policy to understand your coverage and any exclusions.
3. Determine whether the damage is worth a claim by ensuring repair costs exceed your deductible.
4. Contact your home insurance company and make a claim, submitting all evidence of the damage done by the hurricane and any emergency repairs you’ve needed to make.
5. Get repair estimates, potentially from multiple contractors.
6. Work with your insurance adjuster to confirm the extent of the damage and the accuracy of repair estimates.
7. Review and accept the settlement offer or file an appeal.

16. Additional Things To Consider

When preparing for a hurricane, there are a few additional things you should keep in mind:

• Create a stockpile of prescriptions that you may have trouble getting after a hurricane if roads and pharmacies remain closed.
• Don't use tape to secure your windows, as it won't strengthen your protection and can also create more dangerous glass shards if the window shatters.^[11]
• Trim tree branches that are too close to your roof to prevent damage during high winds.
• Fill your car's gas tank before the storm, as gas stations may close.
• Fill bathtubs and sinks with water for sanitation needs, and store drinking water in clean plastic bottles or other food-safe containers in case plumbing service is disrupted.

Hurricane Preparedness at a Glance

Below is the essential information you should know about hurricane preparedness:

• Homeowners insurance typically protects against hurricane damage, but flood damage will likely require a separate policy or endorsement.
• Pay attention to evacuation warnings, even if you plan to shelter in your home during a hurricane.
• Create an emergency supplies kit for each household member containing at least a few days' worth of food, water and other necessities.
• Create a home inventory to document the value of your personal belongings and to use as a reference if items are lost or damaged during a hurricane.
• Take photographs of your home and belongings before and after a hurricane to help support an insurance claim.

What To Do During a Hurricane

If power is still available, ensure your television, radio or official emergency management apps are set to show emergency information and hurricane watch alerts. If an evacuation becomes mandatory or critical survival information is broadcast, you’ll typically be informed by those means.

Remain in an interior room that is structurally sound and has as few windows as possible. If flooding becomes an issue, go to the highest level of your home and don’t travel through flooded areas. Floodwaters as low as six inches can quickly sweep people off their feet, and cars can be moved once the water rises to a foot.^[12]

What To Do After a Hurricane

Once the hurricane has passed, pay attention to local officials regarding when it's safe to travel outside, especially if you’ve evacuated and aren’t home. If you begin clearing debris, wear protective clothing, as sharp objects and glass may be hidden. Keep an eye out for downed power lines hidden under piles of debris or in pools of water.

Don’t travel or allow children to play in flood water, which likely contains chemicals and bacteria that can cause sickness. Power may come and go, so don’t overuse phones and other battery-powered devices until the power grid is stable. If any damage occurred to your home or personal property, document it with photos if you need to file a homeowners insurance claim.

Connect with neighbors and family members to update them on your health. If you notice a neighbor’s home has been significantly damaged, contact them to let them know. Only travel outside your home if it's safe to do so, and see if you can offer assistance to anyone with injuries or health issues caused by the hurricane.