How To Prepare for a Hurricane

Hurricanes are powerful natural disasters that can rip out trees by their roots with strong winds or cause flooding in coastal areas. Preparation for a hurricane well in advance, like shielding your windows, securing outdoor furniture and stockpiling emergency goods, can help reduce the chances of property damage or injury and help you weather the storm more smoothly.

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

What To Do Before a Hurricane Strikes

Below, we’ll discuss some tips on what you should do when preparing for a hurricane or tropical storm.

1. Make a Plan

You should decide, first and foremost, whether you’re evacuating or holding up in your home if you receive a hurricane warning. Local authorities should put out evacuation notices if they’re mandatory and you’re forced to leave for a shelter. If you evacuate your home, wait for official notices signifying that it’s safe to return home or you could risk injury or worse due to dangerous debris.

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. Research safety shelters and evacuation points to regroup at and alternative routes in case the storm separates you from the rest of your household and you must travel separately.

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.

2. Get in Touch With Neighbors

Contact your neighbors and local community to let them know your plans for evacuating or remaining home. Knowing which neighbors are available for help can also be a lifesaver. Likewise, if there’s damage to your property or concerns over a break-in, a nearby neighbor can attempt to contact you and let you know the situation if you aren’t there.

3. Secure Your Home Exterior and Clear Yard Debris

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 One, hurricanes have wind speeds ranging from 74 to 95 miles per hour, which can easily throw debris and other objects.^[1] “Those objects turn into airborne missiles and can damage property or injure people,” Stacey Giulianti, Chief Legal Officer at Florida Peninsula Insurance, told SmartFinancial.

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.

4. Install Storm Shutters

Storm shutters, or hurricane shutters, help protect your windows against heavy wind and stray debris that hurricanes and tropical storms may fling into them. “Ensure that you apply shutters and other protective devices whenever a storm threatens,” said Giulianti. “Well in advance of any storm season, it's wise to test the shutters and ensure a proper fit — and that you have all the pieces and parts needed to protect your home.”

Storm shutters are often made of metals like aluminum or steel but can come in various options, like polycarbonate or fiberglass. You may also be able to replace the standard glass in your windows with glass that is designed to handle hurricane-level weather.

While boarding up your windows with plywood is better than no protection, be aware that boards can be yanked off due to high winds and turned into projectiles that could damage your home.

5. Store Important Documents

Any critical and difficult-to-replace paper documents, such as legal papers, birth certificates and marriage licenses, should be stored in a weatherproof safety 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.

6. Fill Your Car With Gas and Charge Electronics

Even if you’re planning on riding out the storm at home, you may need to leave at a moment’s notice. Ensure your car is filled with gas since refill stations likely won’t operate during or after a hurricane. In addition, ensure you’ve gotten enough gas for a generator if you have one but be careful where you store extra gasoline, as it is a potential fire hazard.

Charge your phones, tablets and other battery-powered devices in advance to ensure they can be used even if the power goes out.

7. Stockpile Prescriptions

Severe weather conditions can cause road blockages, slowing the delivery of new medications and preventing you from reaching the pharmacy quickly. If you anticipate medications running low around an incoming hurricane or tropical storm, it may be worth seeing if you can get a prescription refill early or an additional supply. Discuss your options with your primary care doctor, pharmacy and insurance company.

8. Store and Stock Non-Perishable Foods

Ensure you have enough non-perishable foods safely stored in water-proof containers. Some foods that can be packed as part of hurricane preparedness might include:

• Canned meat
• Peanut butter
• Beans and lentils
• Jerky
• Canned soup
• Dried fruits
• Canned vegetables
• Whole grain crackers
• Rice cakes

9. Have Drinkable Water Available

Water filtration systems could become contaminated during a hurricane, or water services may be impacted by the storm, so it’s essential to ensure you have enough alternative drinking water sources beforehand. Try to keep a three-day water supply, with at least one gallon per person and pet each day. If you have the space, a two-week supply of water is best.^[2]

10. Create an Emergency Kit

You’ll want to prepare necessary items and assemble them into an easily accessible kit, ideally one you can transport with you if you need to evacuate. Items like flashlights, extra batteries, a portable radio, warm blankets and cash can all be crucial if you need to leave.

Be sure to include first aid items like bandages, gauze and antiseptic wipes in case of an injury. While you should still head to a hospital or emergency care center if you have a severe injury, you may have to deal with minor scrapes and scratches when dealing with debris. In the event of a more significant injury, you may also need to patch yourself or someone up before taking them to a medical professional.

11. Check Your Insurance Coverage

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 like Maine and Texas. 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 compared to non-hurricane claims.^[3]

It’s important to note that your homeowners insurance will not cover flooding, which occurs to different degrees during 90% of natural disasters.^[3] If your home is 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. Likewise, water damage from hurricanes may cause damage to your sewer lines, and you’ll likely need a separate policy for this event if you need to make a claim.

Higher valued items, like jewelry, may need to be scheduled or have a separate policy purchased 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 damages, 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.

What To Do During a Hurricane

If power is still available, ensure you have your television, radio or website application that can show emergency information and hurricane watch alerts. If an evacuation becomes mandatory or critical survival information is being broadcast, you’ll typically be informed by those means.

Remain in a structurally sound room that isn’t connected directly to the outside, with as few windows as possible. If flooding becomes an issue, go to the highest level of your home and don’t travel through flood waters, quickly sweeping people at flood levels as low as six inches and even cars once it rises to a foot tall.^[4]

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 damages occurred to your home or personal property, document them 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 if anyone has any injuries or health issues impacted by the hurricane.