What's on a hurricane supply list?
A hurricane supply list has two kits: a stay-at-home kit with two weeks of water, food, medicine and power, and a three-day go bag in case you are told to leave. The smart part is timing. Buy the shelf-stable things before the season starts, top up when a storm is named, and use the last day for fuel, cash, ice and the house itself.
The hurricane supply list in 30 seconds
A hurricane supply list covers water (one gallon per person per day), food that needs no cooking, medicine, light, a radio, power for your phones, first aid, sanitation, cash, copies of your documents and supplies for pets. The Red Cross hurricane safety checklist splits these into a stay-at-home kit with at least two weeks of supplies and an evacuation kit with three days, and that split is the backbone of this page.
Below, every item is sorted into three buying windows: before the season starts, when a storm is named, and the day before it arrives. Print it, tick what you already own, and you will know exactly what is left to buy and when.
Why timing beats a longer list (and saves you the panic run)
Most hurricane lists fail you on the calendar, not the contents. We observed this when we read the results ranking for this search on October 17, 2026: the top spots went to printable PDFs from a state emergency agency, a city, a university and the Red Cross, plus a Facebook post and a hardware store. Every one was a single list of things. Not one told you what to buy months ahead and what can wait until a storm has a name.
Here's the thing: the National Weather Service issues a hurricane watch 48 hours before it expects tropical storm force winds, and a warning 36 hours before. That is the whole window for everyone in the cone to shop, fuel up, board up and maybe leave. Our opinion: anything that can sit on a shelf for a year should already be on yours by then, so those 48 hours go to the few things that cannot.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, and the Eastern Pacific season starts May 15, according to Ready.gov. So "before the season" means May for most of the country. If you are reading this mid-season, today is your May.
Buy in May: the stay-at-home kit that carries you two weeks
These items keep, so buy them before June 1 and stop worrying about them. Ready.gov's kit guidance says to store one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation. Two weeks for a family of four is 56 gallons. That sounds like a lot, so here is the trick: buy three days' worth now (12 gallons for four people) and add a case on every grocery run until you reach two weeks.
Pick foods your household already eats. A hurricane is a bad week to discover that nobody likes the freeze-dried chili. Canned meat, beans, soup, peanut butter, crackers, cereal and shelf-stable milk all work, and you can eat them in the normal course of the year as you rotate the stock.
- Water: one gallon per person per day, working up to two weeks, plus extra for pets
- Canned and packaged food you already eat, two weeks' worth, and a manual can opener
- Flashlights or headlamps for every person, and spare batteries in the sizes they take
- A battery or hand-crank radio, ideally a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert
- Power banks and charging cables for every phone, plus a car charger
- A first aid kit sized for the whole household
- Extra over-the-counter medicine: pain relievers, antacids, allergy and anti-diarrhea medicine
- Sanitation supplies: heavy garbage bags, ties, moist towelettes, hand sanitizer, toilet paper
- A wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, kept next to the meter
- Plastic sheeting, duct tape and a tarp for a leaking roof or broken window
- Plywood or storm shutters cut to size and labeled by window, if you are in a wind zone
- Work gloves, a fire extinguisher and carbon monoxide detectors with fresh batteries
- Pet food, litter, carriers, leashes and copies of vaccination records
- Baby supplies if you need them: formula, diapers, wipes
Also in May: the paperwork that gets you paid back
The supplies that matter most after the storm are on paper. If wind or water damages your home, your claim moves on proof: your policy numbers, photos of what you own and copies of your IDs. Ready.gov tells you to make sure your insurance policies and personal documents are up to date, and to keep copies in a secure, password-protected digital space.
The bottom line? Flood insurance cannot be a last-minute purchase. FEMA says most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, and there is typically a 30-day waiting period before a new National Flood Insurance Program policy takes effect. If you are going to buy it, May is the month, not the week a storm is named.
Also in May: pack the go bag so leaving takes ten minutes
The go bag is your evacuation kit. The Red Cross checklist puts it at three days of supplies, and Ready.gov says to include medication, disinfectant supplies and pet supplies in your go bag or car trunk. Pack it now, store it by the door you use most, and you will not be stuffing pillowcases while the wind picks up.
Our emergency go bag checklist goes person by person, including kids and pets. If you might have to leave on foot, the bug out bag list adds shelter and water filtration. For a hurricane, make sure these are in it:
- Three days of water and snacks per person
- A week of prescription medicine and a written list of every medicine and dose
- Phone chargers, a charged power bank and a small flashlight
- Copies of your IDs and insurance cards, and a paper map with two routes inland
- A change of clothes, sturdy shoes, rain gear and toiletries
- Glasses or contacts, hearing aid batteries and any medical device chargers (CPAP, wheelchair)
- A comfort item for each child and a leash, food and carrier for each pet
When a storm is named: top up the things that cannot wait months
Once a storm has a name and your area is in the forecast cone, you have days, not hours. This is the window for things that spoil, expire or cost too much to hold all season. It is also when you check that your May kit is still complete, because a power bank left on a shelf since spring may be half empty.
Prescriptions come first. Ask your pharmacy about an early refill, since a closed pharmacy and a washed-out road can last longer than the storm. Ready.gov's power outage guidance says that if the power is out for more than a day, you should discard any medication that should be refrigerated unless the label says otherwise, so ask your pharmacist now about medicines like insulin.
- Refill prescriptions early and ask how to store any medicine that needs a fridge
- Fresh batteries for every flashlight and the radio, and fully charge every power bank
- Bread, fruit and other food you will eat in the first two or three days, before the canned stock
- Fuel for the generator, stored in approved containers, away from the house
- Check the plywood, screws and drill, and confirm everyone knows which board goes on which window
- Bring in or tie down patio furniture, grills, bins and anything the wind can throw
- Confirm where you would go if told to leave, and write it on your family evacuation plan
The day before: protect the house and leave nothing to chance
When a hurricane warning is issued, the National Weather Service says all preparations should be complete and you should evacuate immediately if ordered. Use the last day for the jobs that only make sense at the end: fuel, cash, ice and the house itself.
Cash matters because card readers and ATMs need power and a network, and both may be gone for days. A full tank matters because gas stations need power to pump, and you may need to drive inland on short notice. Both are cheap to do the day before and close to impossible the day after.
- Fill the car's tank and park away from trees
- Get cash in small bills
- Turn the fridge and freezer to their coldest settings and fill spare space with ice or frozen water bottles
- Fill bathtubs and large containers with water for flushing and washing (not drinking)
- Charge every phone, laptop, power bank and medical device to 100 percent
- Put up the shutters or plywood and bring the last outdoor items inside
- Take photos or a video of every room, so your inventory shows the house as it was
- Put the go bag, documents and pet carriers by the door
After the storm: use the kit safely
The most dangerous supply on the list is the generator. Ready.gov says generators and fuel should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages, and it advises carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home. Never run one in the garage, even with the door open.
Food safety is next. Ready.gov says a refrigerator keeps food cold for about four hours with the door closed, and a full freezer holds its temperature for about 48 hours. Throw out food that has been at 40 degrees or higher. That is why the plan above eats the fresh food first and saves the canned food for later.
If you evacuated, return only when officials say it is safe. Then photograph the damage before you clean up, and call your insurer. Our home inventory for insurance guide explains what adjusters ask for.
What we would skip, so your budget goes further
Our opinion: skip the expensive pre-packed "hurricane kits" until the water, food and medicine are done. Most of them are built around a backpack and a few days of rations, which is a go bag, not a stay-at-home kit. Our review of the best bug out bags shows what those kits usually leave out, and for a hurricane the gap is water, medicine and power.
Also skip storing all of it in one place. A kit in a garage that floods is no kit at all. Keep the stay-at-home supplies on a high shelf in an interior room, and keep the go bag by the door. If you also live in earthquake or wildfire country, the same logic of "where it lives decides whether you can reach it" runs through our earthquake kit list and wildfire evacuation checklist.
Check the kit once a year and it stays ready
A kit only works if the water is drinkable and the batteries are live. Ready.gov says to keep canned food in a cool, dry place, replace expired items as needed, and rethink your needs every year as your family changes. Pick one date in May, before the season, and make it the day you rotate water, swap batteries, check expiration dates and test the radio.
Store-bought water should stay sealed in its original container. Eat the food that is nearest its date during the year and replace it, so nothing goes to waste. A new baby, a new pet or a new prescription means the list changes too.
Turn the list into a plan the whole house can see
A supply list helps most when everyone in the house knows what is in the kit, where it is and when it expires. Put the papers in one emergency binder, keep the list where everyone can find it, and give each person a job for the day a storm is named.
That is what Beacon3 does. It keeps your kits, expiration dates, documents and contacts in one place, shared with everyone in your house, for a hurricane, flood, wildfire or earthquake. See how Beacon3 works, check the plans and pricing, or browse all of our preparedness guides. Save this list in Beacon3. Room by room, on every phone in your house. Free for 14 days.
Questions people ask
What should be on a hurricane supply list?
Water (one gallon per person per day), food that needs no cooking, a manual can opener, flashlights, a battery or hand-crank radio, power banks, a first aid kit, medicine, sanitation supplies, cash, copies of documents, plywood or shutters, and supplies for pets. Keep two weeks at home and three days in a go bag.
How much water do I need for a hurricane?
Ready.gov says one gallon per person per day. The Red Cross suggests at least two weeks of supplies at home, so plan for up to 14 gallons per person, and start with three days if that is all you can store today.
When should I buy hurricane supplies?
Buy anything shelf-stable before the season starts (June 1 in the Atlantic). When a storm is named, refill prescriptions, buy fresh batteries and fuel. The day before, fill the car, get cash and ice, and protect the windows.
What is the difference between a hurricane watch and a warning?
The National Weather Service issues a hurricane watch 48 hours before it expects tropical storm force winds, and a warning 36 hours before. By the time a warning is issued, your preparations should be complete.
How far from the house should a generator be?
Ready.gov says generators and fuel should always be used outdoors and at least 20 feet away from windows, doors and attached garages. Install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home.
Does homeowners insurance cover hurricane flooding?
Usually not. FEMA says most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage, and a new National Flood Insurance Program policy typically has a 30-day waiting period, so buy it well before a storm.
Know what is in the kit before the storm has a name.
Beacon3 keeps your hurricane supply list, expiration dates and household plan in one shared list, so everyone knows what to buy and where the water, the radio and the documents are. Save this list in Beacon3. Room by room, on every phone in your house. Free for 14 days.
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