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Freedom251 › Blog › Disaster Safety

What to Include in a Hurricane Emergency Kit for Power Outages and Evacuation

By Freedom251 Team · · 8 min read

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A practical hurricane kit has two parts: a larger household supply cache for several days without power and a portable go-bag that can leave with you on short notice. Start with water, nonperishable food, medications, first-aid and sanitation supplies, lighting, communications, charging equipment, and waterproof copies of critical documents. FEMA’s hurricane checklist specifies at least three days of water and food, while its general kit guidance calls for supplies for several days.

Keep the bag ready to carry, follow local evacuation orders and designated routes, and never operate a generator, grill, or camp stove indoors or within 20 feet of windows, doors, garages, or other building openings. FEMA’s official guidance is available in its hurricane safety sheet, hurricane preparedness checklist, and emergency supply-kit checklist.

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Build two kits, not one

A hurricane can create two different problems. Your household may remain at home through a prolonged outage, or officials may order you to leave quickly because of storm surge, flooding, or structural danger. A single large container is awkward to evacuate, while a small bag cannot support everyone for days at home.

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Maintain a fuller cache at home and a lighter, portable go-bag. FEMA also suggests considering smaller kits for workplaces, vehicles, or other places household members spend time. Store the evacuation bag where it can be reached without searching, and make sure its contents match your family’s evacuation plan.

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Storage location Purpose What belongs there
Home supply cache Remain safely at home during an outage or delayed reopening Several days of water and food, extra sanitation supplies, spare batteries, additional medications and medical-equipment power, tools, and household quantities of family and pet supplies
Portable go-bag Leave immediately when authorities direct an evacuation Compact water and food, essential medicines, identification, cash, chargers, radio, flashlight, first aid, sanitation items, documents, clothing, and personal necessities

FEMA describes its lists as starting points rather than complete prescriptions. Your household’s health conditions, transportation, climate, pets, and evacuation destination determine what must be added.

Water and food for the first days

Water

FEMA’s hurricane checklist recommends at least a three-day supply of water. That is an operational planning target from the checklist, not a guarantee that relief, utilities, or roads will be restored within three days. Put water in the home cache and carry a practical amount in the go-bag; account for children, older adults, pets, and anyone who cannot safely use untreated water.

Nonperishable food

Choose foods that can be eaten with little or no cooking: sealed ready-to-eat meals, shelf-stable items, and snacks suited to household dietary needs. Include a manual can opener if any food is canned. Keep additional food at home so the portable bag does not have to carry the entire household supply.

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Lighting, weather information, and communications

Flashlight and batteries

Pack a flashlight and extra batteries, with at least one light in the go-bag and additional lights in the home cache. Headlamps can leave both hands free for carrying water or assisting another person, but the essential requirement is dependable lighting with a tested spare-power supply.

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NOAA Weather Radio

Use a battery-powered or hand-crank radio that receives NOAA Weather Radio tone alerts. FEMA specifically includes both power methods in its kit guidance. Compare whether the radio can be operated by every household member, whether it accepts replaceable batteries, and whether the alert function is clearly explained in its instructions. Keep spare batteries even when the radio has a hand crank.

Phone charging

Pack a charged phone, the correct charging cable, a wall or vehicle charger when useful, and an extra battery or power bank. FEMA advises conserving mobile-device batteries during a hurricane, so use the phone primarily for official alerts and emergency communication. Turn down screen brightness, close unnecessary apps, and favor text or messaging when calls fail to connect.

First aid, sanitation, and basic tools

First aid and signaling

A first-aid kit addresses minor injuries until professional care is available. Add a whistle so you can signal if blocked or separated, and keep any personal first-aid items your household routinely uses.

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Sanitation

Include soap or hand sanitizer, moist towelettes, toilet paper, garbage bags, and plastic ties. After flooding or a sewage-system interruption, these supplies help separate waste and reduce contact with contaminated water. Pack enough for both the home cache and the time the go-bag may be in transit.

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Simple tools

Local maps remain useful when cellular data or navigation services are unavailable. A non-sparking wrench or pliers may be appropriate for a household’s utility-shutoff plan; only use tools in ways you understand and never approach damaged electrical equipment. Keep the map and tools accessible without unpacking the entire cache.

Add supplies for medical, mobility, family, and pet needs

Medications and medical equipment

Pack prescription medications and copies of prescriptions, plus spare glasses or contact lenses. Include medical devices, assistive technology, and backup batteries or other required power. FEMA’s hurricane checklist suggests having medications for at least one week; treat that as the checklist’s recommendation and confirm quantities with a clinician or pharmacist for your circumstances.

Infants and children

Where needed, add infant formula, diapers, wipes, and any feeding or comfort items that cannot be replaced during an evacuation. Children may need familiar, quiet activities in a shelter or vehicle; choose compact items that do not displace medication, water, or documents.

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Pets and service animals

Carry pet food, water, medications, and basic pet supplies. Confirm in advance that the destination accepts animals and keep leashes, carriers, identification, and vaccination records with the portable bag. Service-animal equipment should be packed with the person who uses it.

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Accessibility and caregiving

Account for mobility aids, hearing or vision needs, communication devices, continence supplies, and the person who normally provides care. Store charging cables and backup batteries with the device they power, and label specialized equipment so another helper can identify it quickly.

Protect documents and money for evacuation

Keep photo identification, family contact information, cash, and payment cards in the go-bag. Put medical records, insurance policies, property records, and other essential family documents in a waterproof portable container. Include paper copies even if digital versions exist, and maintain protected digital copies that household members can access when safe.

Documents should be portable rather than locked in a heavy home safe that cannot travel. Add contact information for the evacuation destination, prescriptions, and policy numbers if those details would be difficult to reconstruct after a loss.

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Pack the go-bag in a usable order

  1. Choose the carrier. Use a backpack, duffel, or wheeled bag that one person can move through stairs, wet ground, or a crowded shelter.
  2. Place immediate-use items on top. Put identification, medications, phone charging equipment, flashlight, radio, and a small amount of water where they can be reached without emptying the bag.
  3. Separate documents. Seal paper records in a waterproof pouch inside the portable container and keep a second protected copy elsewhere.
  4. Distribute weight. Keep heavy water and tools low and close to the wearer’s back; assign each adult a manageable load rather than creating one impossible bag.
  5. Label household modules. Use separate pouches for medicines, infant supplies, pet supplies, and sanitation so a shelter or vehicle stop does not turn into a full unpacking.
  6. Test before storm season. Turn on the radio, charge the power bank, inspect batteries, verify prescriptions, and replace damaged or expired items.
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Use fuel-burning equipment without creating carbon monoxide

Generators, grills, and camp stoves can produce lethal carbon monoxide. FEMA’s instruction is explicit: “Use a generator, grill or camp stove ONLY outdoors and at least 20 feet away from any building openings like windows, doors or garages to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.” Keep the equipment away from doors, windows, and attached garages even when they appear closed, and direct exhaust away from the building.

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Never improvise indoor cooking or heating with a fuel-burning appliance. A carbon-monoxide alarm with working batteries is an additional household safeguard, but it does not make indoor operation safe. Refuel equipment only after it has cooled and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Prepare for floodwater and an evacuation order

Before leaving

Monitor official local instructions, identify the designated evacuation route, and leave when authorities direct you. Take the go-bag, medications, documents, pets, and phone chargers; do not delay to collect nonessential possessions. If officials close a road or place a barricade, use the alternate route they identify rather than driving around it.

During travel

Do not walk, swim, or drive through floodwater. FEMA’s warning, “Turn around, don’t drown!”, reflects hazards that may be invisible beneath the surface, including downed power lines and sewage contamination. A vehicle can lose traction or be swept away in much less water than many drivers expect.

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Returning

Return only when officials say it is safe. Flooded buildings may contain structural damage, contaminated water, or energized electrical systems. Continue using the radio and official alerts for re-entry instructions instead of relying on an unverified social-media post.

Choose radio and charging gear by capability

Item Capabilities to compare What FEMA guidance establishes
Battery-powered NOAA radio NOAA tone-alert reception, battery type, spare-battery availability, volume and controls that household members can use FEMA recommends a battery-powered radio capable of receiving NOAA Weather Radio alerts and extra batteries
Hand-crank NOAA radio Crank effort, alert reception, battery backup, durability, and whether it can be operated by the intended user FEMA lists a hand-crank radio as an alternative power method; a crank does not remove the need to test the device
Phone power bank or extra battery Connector compatibility, charging method, capacity appropriate to household devices, and how it is recharged after use FEMA supports carrying an extra phone battery or charger but does not prescribe a capacity or endorse a model

Do not choose on power claims alone. Check that every cable fits, that the radio receives the alert signal in your area, and that the person responsible for it can read and operate the controls.

Use official alerts when grid and internet service are unreliable

The FEMA App can provide National Weather Service alerts for up to five locations nationwide and help locate nearby shelters. Its FEMA page was last updated October 29, 2024; app functions can change, so verify current capabilities in the app listing or on the FEMA App page. Keep the radio as a separate alert path in case a phone loses power, coverage, or data service.

Save local emergency-management, utility, and shelter information before a storm. Alerts are location-specific: a shelter’s capacity, an evacuation zone, and a road closure can change during the event, so follow current instructions from local authorities rather than a pre-storm plan that no longer matches conditions.

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Maintain the kit between storms

  • Check water containers, food packaging, batteries, flashlights, radio operation, and power-bank charge on a regular schedule.
  • Replace medications and prescriptions before they expire, and update supplies after a change in diagnosis, mobility, infant needs, or pet diet.
  • Repack clothing and footwear for the season and the climate along the evacuation route.
  • Keep document copies current when an address, insurance policy, emergency contact, or medical detail changes.
  • After using the kit, restore every item immediately rather than waiting for the next forecast.

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Disaster SafetyEmergency kitevacuationFEMAHurricane preparednesspower outages

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