Hurricane Preparedness Items: The Full Checklist

Contents11

• Hurricane preparedness items: water and food
• Power and light items
• Information and communication items
• Document and money items
• Hurricane preparedness items people forget
• Building a shopping list from what you already own
• Storing hurricane preparedness items so they stay ready
• Items for households with kids or older family members
• Building the list into a routine, not a one-time task
• How often to redo this list
• Official hurricane preparedness items lists

A long checklist of hurricane preparedness items is easy to skim. It is just as easy to half-finish. Grouping the items by the problem each one solves makes real gaps easier to spot.

The core hurricane preparedness items are water, food that needs no cooking, a radio, light, and copies of your documents. Shop by problem, not by one long list. Water solves thirst. A radio solves lost news. Copies solve lost paperwork.

Hurricane preparedness items: water and food

• One gallon of water per person per day. Plan for three days at least.
• Food that needs no fridge and no stove, plus a hand can opener.
• A cooler and ice packs. Useful before the storm and after it too.
• Snacks that hold up in heat, since a hot car is a common storage spot.

Power and light items

• A flashlight for each person in the house, with spare batteries.
• A battery or hand-crank radio, for when power and cell towers both fail.
• A phone charger or small power station, charged before the storm arrives.
• Glow sticks or battery lanterns. Skip candles; they are a fire risk in high wind.

Information and communication items

• A written family plan, with meeting places and one out-of-area contact.
• A list of shelter locations near you, checked before the season starts.
• A paper map. GPS needs both a charged phone and a working signal.

Document and money items

• Copies of your ID, insurance papers, and prescriptions in a dry pouch.
• Cash in small bills. Card readers and machines can fail in a long outage.
• A list of each person's medications and doses, plus any allergies.

Hurricane preparedness items people forget

Most people remember water and a flashlight on their own. The gaps show up in items that only matter once the big risks are covered.

• Pet supplies. Food, a carrier, and shot records matter for pets too.
• A backup charger for medical gear. Anyone on powered equipment needs a plan beyond the wall outlet.
• A way to cook without power. A camp stove used outdoors covers hot food once the fridge is empty.

Building a shopping list from what you already own

The fastest way through a long items list is a walk through your own house first.

• Check what you already own in each group above: water jugs, a flashlight, a cooler, first aid.
• Check dates on stored food and batteries, plus any old medications left in a prior kit.
• Write down only the real gaps, sorted by the four groups above. Shop with a plan, not a guess.
• Keep that list where you will see it again, like clipped to your family plan.

Storing hurricane preparedness items so they stay ready

Where you keep these items matters almost as much as what you buy.

• Store the kit somewhere you can reach without power. An elevator will not run in an outage.
• Keep water and food out of direct sun and heat. Both lose shelf life fast in a hot garage.
• Keep a small go-bag version apart from the main kit, in case you need to leave instead of stay.

Items for households with kids or older family members

A standard checklist assumes a healthy adult household. A few extra items matter for other households.

• For young kids: diapers, formula or baby food, and a comfort item like a small toy or blanket. A scared child settles faster with something familiar in hand.
• For older adults: extra doses of daily medication, a list of doctors and prescriptions, and any mobility aids kept where they can be reached fast.
• For anyone with a chronic condition: a written summary of the condition and current treatment, in case you need care from someone unfamiliar with your history.
• For a household with an infant: more water than the standard amount, since formula preparation adds to daily use.

Building the list into a routine, not a one-time task

A hurricane preparedness items list is only useful if someone actually checks it. Treat the check itself as a small yearly task, not a one-time purchase.

Pick a fixed date, like the start of May, and walk through every group above. Note what needs replacing, what has expired, and what your household size now requires. A list built once and never revisited slowly drifts out of date as kids grow, medications change, and batteries lose charge sitting unused.

How often to redo this list

Check the full list twice a year: once in May before the season opens, and once mid-season if a storm has already used up part of your supplies. A list is only useful if it still matches what is actually in the kit.

Official hurricane preparedness items lists

The items here follow Ready.gov's build-a-kit list and Ready.gov's hurricane page. the National Hurricane Center's preparedness pages add storm-season steps and forecasts.

Questions people also ask

What are the most important hurricane preparedness items?

Water, food that needs no cooking, a battery or crank radio, flashlights, and copies of important documents. These five cover the biggest risks: dehydration, hunger, lost information, and lost paperwork.

How many days of supplies should a hurricane kit cover?

At least three days, which is the FEMA and Ready.gov standard minimum. Coastal areas with a history of extended outages often plan for a week.

Do I need to buy everything new?

No. Many households already own a flashlight, a cooler, and a first-aid kit. Check what you have before buying, and spend on the real gaps.

What items do people forget most often?

Copies of documents (ID, insurance, prescriptions), cash in small bills, and pet supplies. These are easy to forget because they are not part of the food-and-water instinct most people already have.