Hurricane Prep

Florida Hurricane Preparation Checklist (2026)

A Florida hurricane preparation checklist for 2026: home prep, supply kits, evacuation vs shelter, pets, documents, and after-storm safety.

Florida Hurricane Preparation Checklist (2026)

Hurricane season in Florida runs from June 1 through November 30, and the most active stretch usually falls between mid-August and late October. Every Florida homeowner has lived through at least one storm where the cone shifted overnight and a quiet Tuesday turned into a scramble for plywood and bottled water. The work you do in June pays off when a named storm is three days out and the lines at every gas station and hardware store are already wrapping around the block.

This guide breaks preparation into phases so nothing slips through the cracks. We will move from early-season home prep through building your supply kit, the steps you take as a storm approaches, the evacuation decision, your pets and documents, and what to do once the winds die down. Florida storms bring three separate threats: wind, storm surge along the coast, and inland flooding from rain. A solid hurricane preparation checklist accounts for all three, not just the one that scares you most.

Before-Season Home Preparation

The strongest part of any hurricane preparation checklist is the work done weeks before a storm has a name. Your roof, windows, trees, and backup power are the systems that decide whether you ride out a Category 2 with minor cleanup or spend months dealing with water damage. This is the window when contractors still have open schedules and supplies are still on the shelf.

Florida building codes have tightened over the years, but an older home may not meet current wind standards. Walk your property in early June and look at it the way wind and water would. Where would rain get in? What could become a projectile? What has been on your "I'll deal with it later" list since last spring?

Roof, Windows, and Shutters

Your roof takes the first hit, and a roof that was already aging will not improve under 110 mph gusts. Look for lifted or missing shingles, cracked tiles, soft spots, and any daylight visible from inside the attic. If your roof is more than 15 years old or you have not had it inspected since the last major storm, schedule a look now. Reputable roofing companies book out fast once a storm enters the Gulf, so the off-peak window is the time to call.

Windows and openings are the next priority. Permanent storm shutters, impact-rated glass, or properly cut and labeled plywood panels all work, but they only help if they are ready before the warning. If you use plywood, pre-drill the holes and store the panels labeled by window so you are not measuring in the dark the night before landfall. Check that garage door braces are in place, since a failed garage door is one of the most common ways wind pressurizes and lifts a roof.

Trees, Yard, and Drainage

Trees and large branches near the house should be trimmed before the season, not during a warning. Remove dead limbs, thin out heavy canopies, and cut back anything hanging over the roof, driveway, or power lines. A licensed arborist can tell you which trees are structurally sound and which are likely to come down.

Drainage matters as much as the trees. Clear gutters and downspouts so rainwater moves away from the foundation, and check that yard swales and storm drains near your property are not clogged with debris. If your home has flooded before, that history tends to repeat, so know where the water came from and what you can redirect.

Generator and Backup Power

Power outages after a Florida hurricane can last days, and in hard-hit areas, weeks. A generator keeps your refrigerator running, your medications cold, and at least one room comfortable in the summer heat. Decide before the season whether you want a portable unit or a permanently installed standby generator wired to the home.

Standby generators and any new wiring should be installed by qualified, licensed electricians, both for safety and to keep your work up to code. Never run a portable generator inside a garage or near windows, since carbon monoxide kills quietly every season. Test your generator now, store the fuel safely, and confirm you have the right cords and a transfer setup so you are not improvising during the storm.

Insurance and Document Review

Review your insurance well before a storm forms, because most policies will not let you make changes once a hurricane is in the forecast cone. Confirm what your homeowners policy covers, what your hurricane deductible is, and whether you carry separate flood insurance. Standard homeowners policies in Florida do not cover flood damage, and surge and rising water are exactly what flood policies exist to handle.

Flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program typically has a 30-day waiting period before coverage starts, so a June purchase will not help if you wait until August. Photograph or video every room, your roof, and major belongings now so you have a record of their pre-storm condition. Keep digital copies of your declarations pages somewhere you can reach them even if your phone is your only working device.

Building Your Hurricane Supply Kit

A supply kit should cover at least seven days for every person in your household, since that is roughly how long it can take for stores, pharmacies, and gas stations to reopen after a major storm. Build the kit in early summer and store it in one place so you are not gathering items room by room when a warning hits. Check expiration dates each year and rotate anything that has aged out.

Water and food are the foundation. Plan for one gallon of water per person per day, which means a family of four needs at least 28 gallons for a week. Choose food that needs no refrigeration and little or no cooking, such as canned goods, peanut butter, shelf-stable snacks, and a manual can opener that does not depend on power.

Beyond food and water, your kit should include these core items:

• A two-week supply of all prescription medications, plus copies of the prescriptions
• Flashlights and a battery or hand-crank radio, with extra batteries for both
• A first-aid kit, hand sanitizer, and basic toiletries
• Cash in small bills, since ATMs and card readers fail when the power is out
• Phone chargers, a power bank, and a car charging cable
• Baby supplies, formula, or specialized medical equipment if anyone in the home needs them

Keep important tools nearby as well: a wrench to shut off utilities, a fire extinguisher, work gloves, and a basic toolkit. If anyone in your household relies on powered medical equipment, talk to your utility company before the season about their special needs registry, and have a backup power plan that does not assume the grid stays up.

As a Storm Approaches

Once a hurricane watch is issued for your area, you generally have 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds arrive, and a warning means those winds are expected within 36 hours. This is the window to finish everything you cannot do safely in high wind. Work through your list calmly while the weather is still clear, because the last few hours before landfall are not the time to be on a ladder.

Florida's summer heat does not pause for a storm, so think through how your household will stay cool and hydrated if the power goes out for days. Fill the gaps now: top off prescriptions, withdraw cash, and get fuel before the rush empties the stations.

Securing Your Property

Bring inside anything the wind can pick up and throw. Patio furniture, grills, potted plants, trash cans, pool equipment, and children's toys all become projectiles at hurricane speeds. If an item is too heavy to move, secure it or place it in a garage or shed.

Install your shutters or plywood once the warning is issued, and brace the garage door if your system calls for it. If you have a pool, do not drain it, since an empty pool can pop out of the ground under saturated soil. Lower the water level slightly and turn off the pump at the breaker instead.

Topping Off Water, Fuel, and Devices

Fill your vehicles' gas tanks early, and fill any approved containers for your generator. Fuel disappears fast across Florida once a storm enters the forecast, and stations cannot pump without power after landfall. A full tank also gives you the option to leave if conditions change.

Fill your bathtubs and large containers with water for washing and flushing toilets if the water system goes down. Charge every phone, tablet, power bank, and laptop completely, and set your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings so food stays safe longer. Fill empty freezer space with containers of water, which helps everything stay frozen during an outage.

Evacuate or Shelter in Place

The single most important decision you will make is whether to leave or stay, and in Florida that decision often comes down to storm surge rather than wind. Surge is the wall of seawater a hurricane pushes ashore, and it is the deadliest part of most storms. If you live in a coastal or low-lying area, your evacuation zone is based on surge risk, not on how strong your house feels.

Know your evacuation zone before the season starts. County emergency management websites publish zone maps and let you look up your address, and officials order evacuations zone by zone as a storm nears. When your zone is called, leave early, since roads clog quickly and bridges and low routes flood before the storm even arrives.

When You Should Leave

Evacuate if you are in a mandatory evacuation zone, live in a mobile or manufactured home, or are in any structure that cannot stand up to the expected winds. Mobile homes are not safe in hurricane-force winds regardless of how new they are, and most Florida counties order them evacuated first. If you depend on electricity for medical care and have no reliable backup, leaving is the safer call.

You do not have to drive across the state to be safe. Often the goal is simply to get out of the surge zone and into a sturdy structure on higher ground, which might be a friend's home a few miles inland or a designated public shelter. Plan your route in advance, identify a backup route, and keep your gas tank full so you can leave during the early, calmer window.

When Sheltering in Place Makes Sense

If you live outside the surge and flood zones in a well-built home, riding out the storm at home is often reasonable. Pick an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows, such as a closet, bathroom, or hallway, and keep it stocked with your kit and a way to receive emergency alerts. Stay away from windows for the entire storm, including during the eye, when calm conditions can fool you into going outside right before the winds return from the opposite direction.

Keep your phone charged and a battery radio on so you do not miss updates from local emergency management. If water starts entering your home, move to a higher floor, but never go into a closed attic where rising water could trap you. Have an axe or tool that could get you to the roof only as a last resort in a severe flooding event.

Pets and Family Members Who Need Extra Help

Pets are part of the household, and your plan should account for them from the start. Not every public shelter accepts animals, so identify pet-friendly shelters, hotels, or boarding options in advance and confirm their policies before the season. Build a separate pet kit with a week of food and water, medications, a leash or carrier, vaccination records, and a recent photo in case you are separated.

Make sure your pets are microchipped and that the registered contact information is current, since collars come off in chaos. If you evacuate, take your pets with you, because conditions that are unsafe for you are unsafe for them.

Think also about anyone in your household who may need extra time or help, including older relatives, anyone with a disability, and anyone who relies on medical equipment. Many Florida counties run a special needs registry that provides transportation and shelter support during evacuations, but you generally have to sign up before the season. Confirm that registration now rather than assuming help will appear.

Protecting Important Documents

Your documents are the paperwork that lets you file claims, prove ownership, and rebuild after a storm, and water destroys them in seconds. Gather the essentials into one waterproof, portable container: insurance policies, property deeds, vehicle titles, birth certificates, passports, Social Security cards, medical records, and a list of emergency contacts. Add the photos or video you took of your home and belongings during your pre-season review.

Make digital backups as well. Scan or photograph every important document and store the files in a secure cloud account or on an encrypted drive you can take with you. If you evacuate, the waterproof container goes in the car with you, not in a drawer at home where surge or roof leaks can reach it.

After the Storm Passes

The hours and days after a hurricane cause many injuries that the storm itself did not, so treat the all-clear as a transition, not an ending. Wait for local officials to confirm it is safe before you go outside or return home, and stay off the roads while crews clear downed lines and debris. The eye can bring a deceptive calm, so confirm the entire system has passed before you step out.

Florida's flat terrain means floodwater can linger for days, and that water is rarely just water. It can hide downed power lines, sewage, sharp debris, and displaced wildlife, so avoid wading or driving through it whenever you can.

Power Lines, Generators, and Carbon Monoxide

Treat every downed power line as live and stay far away from it, and report it to your utility rather than going near it yourself. Standing water near a fallen line can carry current well beyond the wire itself. Do not touch electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water.

Run portable generators outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from doors and windows. Carbon monoxide poisoning from generators run too close to living spaces causes deaths after nearly every major Florida storm. If your home lost power and you are unsure about your electrical panel or wiring after flooding, have a qualified electrician inspect it before you restore power yourself.

Assessing Damage Safely

Document everything before you clean up. Photograph and video all damage to your home, roof, vehicles, and belongings before you move or discard anything, since your insurer will want that record. Contact your insurance company as soon as you reasonably can, because claim volume spikes after a major storm and early filers tend to get adjusters sooner.

Make only the temporary repairs needed to prevent further damage, such as tarping a roof or boarding a broken window, and keep the receipts. Watch for unlicensed contractors who appear after every storm promising fast repairs, and verify any roofer or electrician is licensed in Florida before you sign anything or hand over a deposit.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start preparing for hurricane season in Florida?

Start in late May or early June, before the season officially opens on June 1. Roof inspections, tree trimming, and flood insurance all take time, and flood policies carry a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins. By the time a storm has a name, contractors are booked and the prep window has mostly closed.

How much water and food should I store for a hurricane?

Plan for at least one gallon of water per person per day and a seven-day supply, so a household of four needs roughly 28 gallons. Choose food that needs no refrigeration or cooking, and keep a manual can opener on hand. Stores and water systems can take a week or more to recover after a major storm.

Do I need flood insurance if I already have homeowners insurance?

In most cases, yes. Standard Florida homeowners policies do not cover flood or storm surge damage, which are the leading causes of hurricane losses. A separate flood policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer fills that gap, and you should buy it well before a storm forms because of the 30-day waiting period.

How do I know if I should evacuate or stay home?

Look up your evacuation zone on your county emergency management website, since zones are based on storm surge risk. If officials order your zone to evacuate, or you live in a mobile home or a low-lying area, leave early. If you are outside the surge and flood zones in a well-built home, sheltering in an interior room is often a reasonable choice.

A good hurricane preparation plan is mostly about timing. The homeowners who fare best are the ones who handled the roof, the trees, the insurance, and the supply kit back in June, so that when a storm threatens they only have to put up shutters, fill the tanks, and decide whether to go. Use this checklist now, review it each year, and keep your local emergency management contacts somewhere you can find them in the dark.