Licensed Realtor with 10+ years in personal finance content
Contributor to Nasdaq and USA Today
Daria is a licensed Realtor and resort property manager specializing in personal finance, real estate, and insurance topics. In her spare time, she practices photography.
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines a hurricane as a rotating weather system with a minimum sustained wind speed of 74 miles per hour.[1] In 2023, Idalia was the only hurricane to make landfall in the U.S., with winds of 125 mph and a storm surge of 7–12 feet.[2] The storm caused 12 deaths and $3.6 billion in damage.
Hurricane season runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Five hurricanes have made landfall in the U.S. so far in 2024 — most recently Hurricane Helene, which caused at least 227 deaths and an estimated $250 billion in damage, and Hurricane Milton, which left more than 3 million people without power after hitting Florida on Oct. 9.
Preparation is key to ensuring your safety, most importantly, and protecting your home. Learn how to prepare your home for a hurricane or tropical storm.
One thing that sets hurricanes apart from other weather disasters is that you typically have enough advance warning to prepare your home and car for the storm. But that doesn’t mean you should wait until storm season begins.
Make a disaster supplies kit
A disaster kit stocked with a few days’ worth of basic necessities for everyone in your family, including pets, will help you ride out the storm and its immediate aftermath.
The U.S. government’s Ready website suggests including the following items in your kit:[3]
Several days’ worth of water and non-perishable food for each person and pet
Medications
Personal care items, including toilet paper and cleansing wipes
Radio, flashlight, and spare batteries
Manual can opener
Cell phone with chargers and backup battery
First aid kit
Fire extinguisher
Blanket or sleeping bag
Dust mask
Wrench or pliers (to turn off utilities)
Local maps
Soap, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes
Important Information
Store the kit in a safe, easily accessible location. Check food and medication expiration dates periodically, and replace expired items.
Have a family disaster plan
A family disaster plan has the information you need to communicate and reunite with family members who are separated from you during the storm. It also has important financial and emergency contact information.
The Ready website has a form you can fill out to create a plan and share it with your family members via email. It includes:
Contact and medical information for each family member
Contact and emergency pickup information for schools and daycare providers
Emergency contacts
Meeting locations, such as shelters, hotels, and the homes of family and friends who live outside of the danger area — pet friendly, if needed
Medical providers’ phone numbers
Insurance company contacts
Prep your home
Wind and water pose the biggest threats to your home during a hurricane, so gear your preparations toward reducing those risks.[4]
Fasten your roof with hurricane straps.
Cut down weak trees and branches.
Install shutters over windows and sliding glass doors or purchase plywood to cover the glass.
Have a storage place for outdoor furniture.
Keep in Mind
Securing a manufactured home against wind can help protect it but won’t make it a safe place to ride out a hurricane.
Prep your vehicles
Your vehicles also need protection against high winds and water. Follow these steps to limit their damage:
Keep copies of your insurance and registration cards in a safe, dry place.
Store basic emergency supplies in the trunk.
Fill your gas tank, and make sure the tires are properly inflated.
Park your car on high ground, next to a building if possible, away from power lines and trees.
Cover vehicles with a tarp.
Prepare to evacuate
The best time to prepare to evacuate is when officials warn that a dangerous storm is headed your way. That way, you lessen the risk of forgetting something important in the rush to leave your home.
Watch or listen to National Weather Service (NWS) forecasts. The NWS will issue a hurricane watch if it expects hurricane conditions within 24–36 hours.
Stay connected with local emergency management and health officials. The information they provide is essential to your safety.
Assemble a disaster kit if you don’t already have one. Put it where you can grab it and go.
Gather personal care items as well as medical documents, wills, and identification. Keep them with your disaster kit.
Withdraw some cash from your bank in case the power goes out and you’re unable to use credit cards.
Prepare your vehicle.
Prepare to shelter in place
If you’re unable to leave your home, it’s vital that you make preparations to shelter in place.[5][6]
Store or secure items in your yard.
If you don’t have storm shutters, nail sheets of plywood over exterior window frames and glass doors.
Put your emergency kit where it’ll be safe from flood waters.
Make sure you know how to turn off power and water to your home.
Fill sinks and tubs with water for bathing. Fill clean bottles with drinking water.
Check your carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarms.
Charge phones.
Gather flashlights, a battery-operated or crank radio, and spare batteries.
If you use a generator if the power goes out, position it at least 20 feet from the nearest door or window.
Checklist: What to do during a hurricane or tropical storm
Remember that hurricanes bring wind speeds of at least 74 mph and may cause flooding. Protecting yourself from these deadly conditions should be your first priority.
If you must evacuate
Take these steps if you need to evacuate your home:
Make sure your planned escape route complies with local officials’ instructions and recommendations.
Grab your disaster kit, including cash, IDs, and other important documents.
Unplug household appliances and turn off gas, electricity, and water.
Listen to NOAA weather reports for updates on storm conditions.
Keep up with instructions and updates from local officials.
If you must shelter in place
If you must shelter in place, use these tips to ensure that you do it as safely as possible:
Put your emergency kit where you can get to it quickly.
Follow updates on local media.
Carry your phone.
Stay indoors, away from doors and windows.
Stay on the first floor of your home, in a windowless room or closet, if wind poses the greatest danger.
Higher floors are safer for floods, but don’t enter an enclosed attic.
Be ready to leave your home if damage requires it or authorities order you to leave.
Checklist: What to do immediately after a hurricane
Danger can persist even after the storm is over. Flooding, downed trees and power lines, and damaged roads and buildings create treacherous situations, whether you’ve evacuated or sheltered in place.
If you evacuated
Once local officials say it’s safe for you to go home, follow these tips from the NWS to return safely:[7]
Contact family members via text message to let them know you’re returning home.
Drive along a route with no flooding, serious road damage, or debris. Avoid driving near downed power lines.
Once home, inspect the exterior for signs of structural damage as well as downed lines and gas leaks before you go inside. Report any dangerous conditions to the proper authorities.
If it’s safe to enter, use a flashlight if there’s no power, but turn the flashlight on while you’re still outside to avoid sparks.
If you sheltered in place
If you sheltered in place, here’s what to do after the storm passes:
Reach out to family members via text, if possible, once the danger passes to let them know you’re safe.
If you can do so without coming into contact with floodwater, check your home’s exterior for signs of damage.
Tempting as it might be to go out for supplies or to see what condition your neighborhood is in, avoid driving unless absolutely necessary. And when driving, stick to roads with no flooding, damage, or debris.
If authorities declare your home unsafe, reach out to family, friends, local authorities, or the Red Cross to find a safe place to go, then contact your homeowners insurance company.
Homeowners insurance and hurricane damage
Homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding. For that, you’ll have to file a claim with your flood insurance company if you have flood insurance. But homeowners insurance does cover wind and other damage to your home’s structure and to your personal property.
You might also have loss of use coverage that will pay necessary expenses if the damage forces you to live elsewhere while repairs are made.
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How to file an insurance claim for hurricane damage
If a hurricane damages your home, follow these steps to file a claim:
Document your damage as thoroughly as you can. But don’t make repairs or dispose of damaged items.
Contact your homeowners insurance company to report the damage and begin a claim.
Try to prevent further damage by tarping broken windows and doors.
Prepare to meet with the claims adjuster who visits your home to assess the damage and review the damages and losses you’ve documented.
Keep records of everyone you speak with about your claim, the date and time of the conversation, and what you discussed.
Once the insurance company gives you its OK to begin cleanup and repairs, keep all your receipts and follow the insurer’s instructions for submitting them.
Note that when you file a claim, you might have to pay a separate hurricane deductible in addition to your standard deductible.
Hurricane preparedness FAQs
Tension runs high during and after a hurricane, so it’s important to know what to do before you’re faced with one. This additional information may help as you prepare for a hurricane or tropical storm.
What should you have in your hurricane preparedness kit?
Your emergency kit should have a few days’ worth of food, water, and medications, a first aid kit, personal items, a manual can opener, a radio, a flashlight, and extra batteries. Don’t forget to include supplies for your pets as well.
How often should you update your hurricane preparedness kit?
It’s a good idea to update your hurricane preparedness kit at least once every year, especially if you live in an area that’s prone to hurricanes and tropical storms. Check expiration dates on food and medications, and restock them as needed.
What foods should you store in case of a hurricane?
The food in your hurricane kit should be non-perishable, such as canned goods, dehydrated fruits, nuts, protein bars, and anything else that doesn’t need refrigeration.
What should you do when you encounter flood waters?
The most important thing is to avoid contact with the water. If the flooding is in your home or another building, move to a higher floor. If you’re driving, don’t drive through the water.
Should you stay home or evacuate in case of a hurricane?
If you live in a manufactured home, you should evacuate. For other home types, follow the instructions and recommendations offered by local authorities and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Daria Uhlig is a freelance writer and editor with over a decade of experience creating personal finance content. Her work appears on USA Today, Nasdaq, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Fox Business, GOBankingRates and AOL. As a licensed Realtor and resort property manager, she specializes in real estate topics, including landlord, homeowners and renters insurance. In her spare time, Daria can be found photographing people and places on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Connect with her on LinkedIn.
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
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