how to prepare for a hurricane

Every hurricane season, millions of people get the same advice: buy water, buy batteries, board up your windows. That's fine as far as it goes. But it doesn't go far enough for anyone who depends on a generator, a well pump, or a freezer full of food they can't afford to lose. FEMA will tell you to have three days of supplies. FEMA has also never tried to restart a flooded generator at 5 AM with no cell service and a driveway full of oak trees.

This page is the checklist I actually use. It's built around power and water — the two things that determine whether a hurricane is an inconvenience or a crisis. I've been through enough storms to know that the difference between "we lost power for a week and it was miserable" and "we lost power for a week and we were fine" comes down to what you did in the weeks and days before the storm arrived.

I'm not going to tell you to buy plywood. You already know about plywood. I'm going to tell you what to do with your generator, your fuel, your water supply, and your freezer — on a timeline that starts before hurricane season and runs through the aftermath.

before hurricane season (june 1 or earlier)

If you're reading this in July with a storm in the Gulf, skip to the next section. But if you have time, this is where the real preparation happens. Everything you do now is something you won't be doing in a panic later.

generator maintenance

Your generator has been sitting since the last time you needed it. That might be six months. That might be two years. Either way, it needs attention before you stake your family's comfort on it.

• Change the oil. Old oil breaks down and loses its protective properties. If you can't remember the last oil change, do one now. Check your manual for the correct weight — most portable generators take 10W-30.
• Replace the air filter. A clogged filter starves the engine and reduces output. Filters cost $5 to $15. There's no reason not to start the season with a fresh one.
• Inspect the spark plug. Pull it out and look at it. If it's fouled, corroded, or the electrode is worn down, replace it. A new spark plug costs less than a coffee.
• Check the fuel system. If you left old gas in the tank, drain it. Old fuel is the number one reason generators won't start. Run the carburetor dry or use the fuel shutoff valve to starve the engine at the end of each season — it prevents gumming. If you didn't do that last year, you may need to clean or replace the carburetor.
• Test the battery (if equipped). Electric-start generators have a battery. Batteries die when they sit. Charge it fully and load-test it. Replace it if it won't hold a charge — they're typically $20 to $40.
• Inspect cords and connections. Look at every extension cord, every outlet on the generator, and every connection point. Cracked insulation, bent prongs, melted plastic — replace anything that looks damaged.

fuel storage

After a hurricane, gas stations have no power. The ones with power have lines around the block. The fuel trucks can't get through flooded roads. If you don't have fuel stored before the storm, you may not have fuel for days.

• Stock 30 to 50 gallons of gasoline in approved containers (the red ones rated for fuel). A typical portable generator burns 10 to 15 gallons per day at half load. That gives you 3 to 5 days of intermittent use.
• Treat every gallon with fuel stabilizer. Ethanol-blended gas degrades within 30 to 60 days. Stabilizer extends shelf life to about a year. I use Sta-Bil. Add it when you fill the cans, not after.
• Rotate your fuel. Use the oldest cans first in your car or mower, then refill with fresh treated gas. Mark the fill date on every container with a permanent marker.
• Propane users: Fill your tank to maximum before the season. A 500-gallon tank at 80% gives you roughly 400 gallons of usable propane. If you run dual-fuel, keep gasoline on hand as a backup — propane delivery may not be available post-storm either.
• Store fuel properly. Never inside your house or attached garage. A detached shed, away from the house, on a stable surface. Keep it away from ignition sources and direct sunlight.

test your system end-to-end

This is the step most people skip, and it's the one that matters most. Don't just start the generator and let it idle for five minutes. Simulate an outage.

• Kill the main breaker (if you have a transfer switch) and run your house on generator power for at least 30 minutes.
• Turn on the things you'll actually need: refrigerator, freezer, a few lights, phone chargers, the well pump if you're on a well.
• Listen for the generator laboring. Watch for voltage drops (lights dimming when the fridge kicks on). Identify problems now, when the hardware store is open and the weather is clear.
• If you don't have a transfer switch, practice the extension cord setup. Run the cords to where they'll go. Plug in the critical appliances. Time how long it takes. You'll be doing this in the dark and the rain — you want to know the routine by muscle memory.

one week before landfall

The forecast cone is getting narrower and your county is in it. This is when most people start paying attention. You've already done the hard work if you followed the pre-season section. Now it's about topping off and finalizing.

fuel and power

• Top off all fuel containers. Don't wait. Gas stations get overwhelmed 48 hours before a storm. Fill your stored cans now and fill your vehicle's tank. If you have a propane tank, call your supplier today — they'll be booked solid by tomorrow.
• Charge every battery you own. Phone battery packs, laptop batteries, rechargeable flashlights, the battery on your electric-start generator, your drill batteries (you'll need them for boarding windows). Charge them all to 100%.
• Charge portable power stations if you have them. A charged battery backup unit can run small electronics for days without touching your generator fuel.
• Run the generator one more time. Just 10 minutes under load. Confirm it starts, runs smooth, and produces power. This is your last chance to fix a problem.

water

Municipal water systems can fail during a hurricane — treatment plants flood, pumps lose power, mains break. If you're on a well, no power means no water unless you have a generator running your well pump.

• Store at least one gallon per person per day for 7 days. Family of four means 28 gallons minimum. Buy it in cases of bottled water or fill clean food-grade containers.
• Freeze water bottles and gallon jugs. Fill them three-quarters full (water expands when frozen) and pack your freezer. These serve double duty: they keep your freezer cold longer during a power outage, and when they melt, you have drinking water.
• If you're on a well: Fill every large container you have — five-gallon buckets, coolers, the washing machine. This is non-drinking water for flushing toilets, washing hands, and cleaning. You'll go through more water than you think.

document and protect

• Photograph every room in your house and your major possessions. Open cabinets, closets, the garage. Walk around the outside. This takes 15 minutes and it can save you months of fighting with your insurance company. Store the photos in the cloud, not just on your phone.
• Copy critical documents — insurance policies, IDs, mortgage paperwork — and put them in a waterproof bag. Physical copies. The cloud doesn't help when you have no power and no cell signal.
• Move your generator to its designated spot if it's not already there. Check that the area is clear and the ground is as level as you can make it. If your spot tends to flood, plan an alternate location on higher ground.

48 hours before landfall

The storm is coming. The track is clear enough. Shelves at the hardware store are empty and the plywood is gone. If you've been following this timeline, you're ahead of almost everyone. Here's what to finalize.

secure your generator

• Anchor or strap it down. A portable generator weighs 100 to 250 pounds. Hurricane winds can move objects far heavier than that. Strap it to a concrete pad, a ground anchor, or a heavy permanent structure. Use ratchet straps, not bungee cords.
• Cover it with a fitted tarp or generator cover (while it's not running). You're protecting it from flying debris and horizontal rain, not operating it yet. Remove the cover before you start it.
• Elevate if you're in a flood zone. If storm surge or standing water could reach your generator, raise it. A pallet, cinder blocks, a platform — get it above the expected water line. A flooded generator is a destroyed generator.
• Stage your extension cords and fuel so everything is ready to connect. Lay the cords along their path (but don't leave them connected outside during the storm). Move fuel containers to their sheltered spot.

water and plumbing

• Fill every bathtub in the house. This is flushing water, not drinking water. When the pumps go down, a single bathtub gives you roughly 30 to 50 gallons of water for flushing toilets. Fill them the night before the storm arrives.
• Fill your washing machine. Another 15 to 20 gallons of utility water.
• Run your dishwasher and do laundry now. You won't be doing either for a while. Start the storm with clean dishes and clean clothes.
• If you're on a well, run the pump one last time to confirm it works and top off your pressure tank. Know where your well's circuit breaker is so you can shut it off before the storm (you don't want the pump cycling on contaminated water post-storm).

emergency kit for a power outage

You probably have a general emergency kit. Here's what the power-specific version needs. See also: power outage kit for the full list.

• Flashlights (plural) and extra batteries — not candles, which are a fire hazard during a storm
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA weather radio is best)
• Fully charged phone battery packs
• Manual can opener
• Cooler and ice (or those frozen water bottles from your freezer)
• First aid kit with any prescription medications for 7 days
• Paper maps of your area (GPS won't work without data or power)
• Work gloves and a pair of boots — you'll be walking through debris

cash from the ATM

Go get cash. Right now. ATMs need power. Card readers need internet. Neither will be available. Pull enough to cover a week of expenses — gas, food, ice, supplies. Small bills. After a hurricane, nobody can break a hundred.

during the storm

The wind is howling. The power is out. Your generator is sitting outside and you want to start it. Hold on.

do not run the generator during peak winds

I know this is hard. You're in the dark, your kids are scared, and the whole point of owning a generator is to not be in this situation. But running a generator during the worst of a hurricane creates serious risks:

• Flying debris. A piece of roofing, a tree branch, a lawn chair — any of these can destroy your generator or the fuel line connected to it. An airborne object puncturing a gas tank next to a hot engine is as bad as it sounds.
• You have to go outside to start it. During sustained winds of 80+ mph with debris flying, going outside is the most dangerous thing you can do. The generator can wait. You cannot be replaced.
• Storm surge and flooding. Water levels can rise rapidly during a hurricane. Your generator's spot might be dry now and underwater in an hour. Running electrical equipment in rising water is a recipe for electrocution.
• Wind-driven rain. Even with a rain cover, horizontal rain at 100 mph will overwhelm any generator shelter. Water in the electrical outlets shorts the system. Water in the carburetor stalls the engine.

what to do while you wait

• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. A full freezer holds safe temperatures for about 48 hours unopened. A full fridge lasts about 4 hours. Every time you open the door, you lose cold air you can't get back. For more on timing, read how long does food last without power.
• Use flashlights and battery lanterns, not candles. Your house may be leaking gas from a damaged line. Open flames during a hurricane are how houses burn down during storms.
• Monitor weather radio. Cell towers go down during hurricanes. A battery-powered NOAA weather radio is your most reliable source of information about the storm's progress and when it's safe to go outside.
• Stay away from windows. This has nothing to do with power, but I'm saying it anyway because people forget.

water safety during the storm

If you're on municipal water, it may still be flowing during the storm — but boil advisories are common. If you're on a well and the power is out, your well pump is off. Use your stored water. Do not attempt to run the well pump until the storm has passed and you've confirmed the generator is safe to operate and the well hasn't been compromised by flooding.

If you see floodwater anywhere near your wellhead, your well is potentially contaminated. Do not drink from it. I'll cover what to do about that in the after-the-storm section below.

after the storm

The wind has died down. It's quiet in that eerie post-hurricane way. Now comes the part where your preparation either pays off or doesn't. Take it slow. Rushing after a hurricane causes almost as many injuries as the storm itself.

generator startup

Before you turn the key, walk through this checklist. Every time. Even if you've done it a hundred times before. Read how to run a generator safely if you haven't already — that page covers the fundamentals in detail.

1. Inspect the generator visually. Look for damage from debris, fallen branches, or water intrusion. Check the body, fuel tank, exhaust, air filter housing, and oil fill cap.
2. Check for fuel leaks. Look under the generator and around the fuel cap and fuel line connections. Smell for gas. If you see or smell fuel, do not start the generator. Fix the leak first.
3. Check the oil. Pull the dipstick. If the oil looks milky or has water in it, the crankcase was compromised. Change the oil before starting. Running an engine on contaminated oil will destroy it.
4. Check the air filter. If it's wet or clogged with debris, replace it or dry it thoroughly. A saturated air filter will choke the engine.
5. Confirm placement. Is the generator still 20+ feet from the house? Is it on stable ground? Did storm surge or rain change the terrain around it? Reposition if needed before starting.
6. Start the generator with no load. Let it run for 2 to 3 minutes to warm up and stabilize. Listen for unusual sounds — knocking, sputtering, grinding. If anything sounds wrong, shut it down and investigate.
7. Connect loads one at a time. Fridge first. Then freezer. Then other essentials. Watch and listen for overload.

fuel line and fuel system checks

Hurricanes throw debris with extraordinary force. A small branch impact or a shift in the generator's position during the storm can crack a fuel line, loosen a connection, or damage the fuel tank.

• Trace every fuel line from the tank to the carburetor. Look for cracks, kinks, loose clamps, or wet spots.
• Check the fuel cap seal. If water got into the tank, the fuel is contaminated. You'll know because the generator will sputter, stall, or refuse to start. Drain the tank, replace the fuel, and try again.
• If you smell gas but can't find the leak, do not start the generator. Gas vapor pooling around a hot exhaust is an explosion waiting to happen. Find the leak first.

well water contamination

If you're on a well, this section is critical. Municipal water users can skip ahead, though you should still follow any boil-water advisories from your utility.

Floodwater is not just water. It's sewage, agricultural runoff, fuel, chemicals, and whatever else was on the ground when the storm surge came through. If any of that reached your wellhead, your well is compromised.

• Inspect the wellhead. Look for visible damage, debris around the casing, or evidence that water crested above the well cap. If you see any of these, assume contamination.
• Do not run the well pump immediately. If the well is contaminated, pumping that water into your house spreads the contamination to your pipes, water heater, and pressure tank.
• Boil before drinking. If you must use the well, bring water to a rolling boil for at least one full minute. This kills bacteria and most pathogens. It does not remove chemical contaminants.
• Get it tested. Contact your county health department for a water test. Many offer free or low-cost testing after declared disasters. Do not assume the water is safe until the test comes back clean.
• Shock the well if contaminated. This involves adding household bleach or well-sanitizing tablets to the well casing, running it through the system, letting it sit for 12 to 24 hours, then flushing. Your county extension office usually has step-by-step instructions specific to your area. If you're not comfortable doing it yourself, hire a well service company.

food safety after the storm

Your freezer has been off for some number of hours. Here's how to assess what's safe:

• If the freezer stayed closed and was full: Food is safe for about 48 hours after power loss. If it's been longer than that, check each item individually — anything that still contains ice crystals or is at 40 degrees F or below is safe to refreeze.
• If the freezer was half-full or opened: The safe window drops to about 24 hours.
• Refrigerated food: Discard anything perishable (meat, dairy, cut produce, leftovers) that's been above 40 degrees F for more than 2 hours. When in doubt, throw it out. Food poisoning during a disaster with no medical access is dangerous.
• Use a thermometer. A $5 refrigerator thermometer tells you exactly where you stand. If you didn't have one before the storm, get one for next time.

The frozen water bottles you packed earlier? If they still have ice, your food is likely safe. If they're fully melted and warm, the freezer has been above safe temperatures for a while. They're a cheap, visual indicator of how long your freezer held.

the full hurricane power checklist

Print this. Tape it to your breaker panel. Check the boxes as you go.

before hurricane season

• Generator oil changed and fresh
• Air filter replaced
• Spark plug inspected or replaced
• Fuel system cleaned, old gas drained
• Electric-start battery charged and tested
• 30 to 50 gallons of stabilized fuel stored in approved containers
• Extension cords inspected, damaged ones replaced
• Transfer switch tested (if installed)
• Full system test under load completed
• CO detectors battery-tested

one week out

• All fuel containers topped off
• Vehicle gas tank full
• Propane tank full (if applicable)
• All battery packs and devices charged to 100%
• Generator tested one more time
• Water stored: 1 gallon per person per day for 7 days
• Water bottles and jugs frozen and packed in freezer
• Every room and possession photographed for insurance
• Critical documents copied and waterproofed

48 hours out

• Generator strapped or anchored in position
• Generator elevated if in flood zone
• Extension cords staged along their paths
• Fuel containers in sheltered location
• All bathtubs filled for flushing water
• Washing machine filled with utility water
• Laundry and dishes done
• Well pump tested one last time (well users)
• Emergency kit assembled with power-outage items
• Cash withdrawn from ATM — small bills

after the storm

• Generator inspected for damage before starting
• Fuel lines checked for leaks
• Oil checked for water contamination
• Air filter checked
• Generator started with no load, warmed up 2 to 3 minutes
• Loads connected one at a time
• Wellhead inspected (well users)
• Well water boiled or tested before drinking
• Freezer and fridge contents assessed for safety

If you need a generator and don't have one yet, start with my best portable generator picks. If you already have one and want to make sure you're running it right, read how to run a generator safely. And if the power is already out and you found this page in the middle of a storm, go to what to do when the power goes out — that one's written for right now.

For the complete outage kit that covers hurricanes and everything else, see power outage kit. And there's always more in the guides section.