Hurricane and storm emergency kit

Storms come with days of warning, which is the time to fill water, charge everything and secure the house. Afterwards, the main problems are power cuts lasting days and damage you’ll want to patch quickly.

Before it happens

• Check your evacuation zone and plan where you’d go.
• Fill water containers, and the bathtub bladder if you have one.
• Charge power banks, radios and phones.
• Bring in or tie down anything that can blow away.

When it happens

• Evacuate if you’re told to.
• If you stay, shelter in a small interior room on the lowest floor that won’t flood, away from windows.
• Don’t go outside in the calm eye of the storm; the wind comes back from the other side.

Afterwards

• Stay away from floodwater and fallen power lines.
• Run generators outdoors only, at least 6 m (20 ft) from windows and doors. Never use a gas grill or camping stove indoors.
• Photograph the damage before you start repairs.

The kit

Start with the L1 kit (72 hours). For this hazard, these items matter most:

• Emergency radio
• Duct tape
• Basic hand tools
• Work gloves
• Bathtub water bladder
• Handheld VHF/UHF radio
• Tourniquet
• Emergency pressure bandage
• Tarp and paracord
• Portable power station
• Inverter generator (houses with outdoor space)
• Portable satellite internet
• Hemostatic gauze
• Pry bar
• Hatchet
• Fuel can
• Plastic sheeting

Sources: Ready.gov (FEMA). Last reviewed: October 2026.