Follow local emergency alerts and evacuation orders, and never walk or drive through floodwater. Prepare for wind and flooding together: the safest room for a hurricane may not be safe if water can reach it. This guide covers household preparation, storm surge, evacuation, shelter, and the first steps after a storm. Local officials’ instructions take priority because routes, zones, and shelter availability depend on your location and the event.
How should I prepare for a hurricane?
Prepare before a storm threatens. Learn your local hurricane and flood risks, sign up for emergency alerts, and find your evacuation zone, designated route, and available shelter options. FEMA recommends making a household plan that accounts for how people will reunite and communicate if separated.
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- Plan for individual needs, medications, pets, and several days of supplies. Protect important documents and keep digital copies.
- Secure loose outdoor items and clear drains and gutters. Consider appropriate window protection for your home.
- Depending on the property and its flood risk, consider measures such as plumbing check valves or a sump pump with battery backup. These do not replace evacuation instructions.
- Review insurance before hurricane season. FEMA says standard homeowner policies do not cover flooding; ask your insurer or the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) about coverage, exclusions, eligibility, cost, and timing.
FEMA says a flood insurance policy typically takes up to 30 days to take effect. That is general guidance, not a guarantee about an individual policy; confirm the effective date and terms with the insurer or program. See Ready.gov’s flood guidance.
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A NOAA Weather Radio and a waterproof container for documents may be useful additions to a household plan. They are not substitutes for local alerts or evacuation.
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What is storm surge?
Storm surge is coastal flooding associated with a storm. It can push water onto land and create dangerous conditions well beyond the immediate shoreline. FEMA identifies coastal storms and storm surge as causes of flooding, but flood danger is not limited to coastal areas or to places shown inside a mapped flood boundary. FEMA’s concise warning is: “Where it can rain it can flood.”
A map alone cannot establish that a particular home is safe during a storm. Check local alerts and official evacuation-zone information, and follow directions issued for your area.
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Should I evacuate?
If local officials order an evacuation, leave promptly using the designated route. Do not rely on a general checklist to overrule an order: the threat, zones, and routes vary by storm and location.
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- Take critical supplies and important documents, and follow officials’ directions about where to go.
- Do not drive around barricades or improvise shortcuts. If you are not under an evacuation order, keep monitoring alerts and act as officials direct if flooding or another immediate danger develops.
Never enter floodwater on foot, by swimming, or in a vehicle. FEMA warns: “Just six inches of fast-moving water can knock you down and one foot of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.” Stay off bridges over fast-moving water. FEMA’s slogan is “Turn Around. Don’t Drown!”
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Where should I shelter?
For high winds, shelter indoors in a sturdy building, away from windows and doors. A FEMA safe room or ICC 500 storm shelter is an option; otherwise, use a small, interior, windowless room. FEMA recommends choosing a room on the lowest level that will not be affected by floodwater. A low room that may flood is not a safe choice.
If rising water traps you in a building, move to the highest level. Do not enter a closed attic, where floodwater could trap you. Follow local emergency instructions whenever possible.
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Run generators and other gasoline-powered equipment outdoors, at least 20 feet from building openings such as doors, windows, or vents. Never operate them indoors or in a partly enclosed area because of carbon monoxide danger.
What should I do if flooding starts?
- Act on any applicable flood warning or evacuation instruction. Move away from rising water and follow official directions.
- Do not walk, swim, or drive through floodwater, even if it looks shallow; stay off bridges over fast-moving water.
- If trapped inside, go to the highest level but avoid a closed attic.
Floodwater can contain debris, sewage, bacteria, chemicals, animals, and electrical hazards. Avoid contact where possible, and keep away from wet electrical equipment.
When is it safe to return?
Return only when authorities say it is safe and follow local reentry instructions. Flooding, damaged buildings, debris, and electrical hazards can remain after the storm has passed.
- Photograph property damage before cleanup, when it is safe to do so.
- Contact your insurer to report damage and begin a claim. Coverage and claim decisions depend on your policy and circumstances.
- Use caution during cleanup: wear protective clothing, avoid floodwater, and do not handle wet electrical equipment.
FEMA’s primary guidance is available in Be Prepared for Any Hazard: How to Stay Safe When a Hurricane Threatens (FEMA P-2143, February 2025), Be Prepared for a Hurricane (March 2024), and Ready.gov: Floods. FEMA also describes alerts for up to five locations, shelter finding, and recovery tools in its FEMA App information page, last updated October 29, 2024; app features may change.
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