Start before hurricane season opens on June 1. Find out whether you live in an evacuation zone. Pack a go-kit with 3 days of supplies and a stay-at-home kit with 2 weeks. Then get your home ready to go without power for a while. That's the core of what the National Weather Service and the Red Cross ask you to do.

Take the power part seriously. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says hurricanes in 2024 led to the most hours without power in the U.S. in 10 years, and major events like hurricanes and other storms accounted for 80% of the hours customers spent without power that year.

Before the season

• Know your zone. Ask your local government or emergency management office whether you live in a hurricane evacuation area.
• Know where you'd go and how you'd get there. The Red Cross says mobile homes and RVs can't keep you safe from hurricane-force winds.
• Write a family plan, and keep a copy in your emergency kit.
• Check your home. Learn how exposed it is to storm surge, flooding and wind, and check your flashlights, generator and storm shutters.
• Review your insurance so your home and belongings are covered.
• Sign up for local emergency alerts.

Pack two kits

The Red Cross splits hurricane supplies in two: a go-kit with 3 days of supplies you can carry, and a stay-at-home kit with 2 weeks of supplies. Stores and pharmacies may be closed after the storm. Our go bag guide covers the carry part. Here's the checklist, built from the Ready.gov basic kit:

• Water: at least 1 gallon per person, per day
• Non-perishable food and a manual can opener
• A 1-month supply of prescription medicine in a child-proof container
• A battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
• Flashlights and extra batteries
• A first aid kit
• A whistle to signal for help
• Dust masks, plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape
• Wet wipes, garbage bags and plastic ties
• A wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Local maps
• Phone chargers and a backup battery
• Cash
• Copies of insurance policies, ID and bank records, saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container
• Pet food and extra water for pets

Light, water and warmth for the days without power

Plan for the nights after the storm, when the wind has stopped and the power still hasn't come back.

• Light. Plug a Backup Light into each bedroom and the hallway. It charges in the outlet, turns on by itself the moment the power goes out, then lifts out as a flashlight. The Red Cross recommends flashlights over candles in an outage.
• Water. Store it before the storm. After it, the Red Cross says to avoid tap water until local officials say it's safe. Once they do, SafeSip lets you refill at the tap and filters as you sip, with no power needed. It's for fresh water only. Keep it away from floodwater, salt water and anything that could hold chemicals.
• Rain and wind. A Hero Poncho packs small enough for the go-kit, helps hold in your body heat and has a bright color that makes you easy to spot.

When a watch or warning goes up

Hurricane watch: hurricane conditions, meaning sustained winds of 74 mph or more, are possible in your area. The National Weather Service issues it 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected. Listen to local officials and leave if they tell you to.

Hurricane warning: hurricane conditions are expected. It's issued 36 hours before tropical-storm-force winds arrive. Finish your preparations now, and leave right away if you're ordered to evacuate.

Before the wind picks up, charge every phone and backup battery, and fill the car's gas tank at least halfway.

During the storm

• Shelter in a designated storm shelter or an interior room, away from windows and glass doors.
• Move to higher ground before flooding starts.
• Never walk, swim or drive through floodwater. Turn around, don't drown.
• Run a generator outside only, at least 20 feet from the house. Read our generator carbon monoxide guide before you need it.

After the storm

• Go home only when officials say it's safe.
• Stay away from downed power lines and poles.
• Stay out of floodwater. The Red Cross says it can carry sewage, bacteria and chemicals.
• Don't drink tap water until local officials say it's safe.
• Never use gasoline, propane, natural gas or charcoal devices indoors or near an open window. If you feel sick, dizzy or weak, get to fresh air right away.
• Check the fridge and freezer. Throw out food that got wet or warm. When in doubt, throw it out. Here's how long food lasts without power.

A hurricane watch gives you about 48 hours before the wind arrives. Get the lights into the outlets well before then, so the first dark night after the storm starts with the lights on. Get your Backup Lights, or see everything in our survival essentials.