How Do I Build a Basic Emergency Kit Before Hurricane Season?

Key Takeaways:

• People with prepared hurricane emergency kits have greater chances of survival.
• The most important items in a hurricane emergency kit are food, water, and first aid supplies.
• Other useful items include communication and navigation tools, hygienic supplies, extra clothes, tools, and prescription medication.
• Make sure to regularly check on and update your kit after setting it up.

If you’re unlucky enough to get caught in a hurricane, the immediate aftermath may be devastating. There’s a split-second choice to make - either make a run for it or hide in the basement and hope for the best. In either scenario, to give yourself the best chance of survival, you need to build a basic survival kit - there’s everything you should put on your hurricane emergency supply list.

Hurricane Emergency Supply List

When discussing any sort of survival kit (regardless of the specific survival scenario), we generally separate the survival items into two groups: the ‘must-have’ items and the ‘not crucial, but nice to have’ items.

These are the absolute must-have items to survive a hurricane!

Hurricane Emergency Kit Crucial Items Checklist

The three most important categories of items in a hurricane emergency kit are water, food, and first aid.

Water

The general rule of thumb is to store at least one gallon of water per person per day. This water is to be used for both hydration and sanitation. The issue is, however, that you don’t know how many days you might find yourself stuck if a hurricane levels your home.

Relying on natural water sources after a hurricane can be dangerous. The water is often contaminated and not suitable for drinking. If you absolutely cannot store enough water or you want to make sure you have a backup, there are water purification options available.

Shop Water Purification

Food

Non-perishable foods are your friend in any disaster scenario. They’re incredibly cheap, extremely long-lasting, need very little to no preparation, calorically rich, and keep the stomach full. Sure, they may not have the best taste, but this is survival we’re talking about - it’s not supposed to be an enjoyable experience.

Canned foods (such as pre-cooked stews or beans) and military MREs are by far the best options for a disaster scenario.

First Aid

Your first aid kit should be stocked with plenty of bandages, gauze, disinfectant, tourniquets, and immobilizing supplies. The likeliest injuries you’re looking at in case of a hurricane are fractures, cuts, and scrapes.

What’s even more important than a first aid kit is knowing how to use it, so make sure to keep a first aid manual close by!

Other Important Hurricane Emergency Supply List Items

The following items are very useful and can make the difference between life and death in certain situations. Still, unlike water, food, and first aid supplies, you won’t find yourself in immediate danger without them.

• A battery-powered radio with extra batteries (for government notifications)
• Flashlights
• Whistles (to signal for help)
• Dust masks (the dust clouds created by hurricanes can be contaminated)
• Basic tools, tarp, and duct tape (to fix your shelter)
• Toilet paper, soap, moist towelettes, and garbage bags (for obvious purposes)
• Maps of the local area
• Power banks for your cell phones

Checklist of Non-Essential But Useful Items in a Hurricane Emergency Kit

The following items, while not essential, can be useful.

• Prescription medication - especially important for people who suffer from chronic illnesses
• Glasses
• Pet food
• Cash
• Personal documents
• A fire extinguisher
• A fire starter (lighters, matches)
• Paper towels and plastic utensils
• Books and games for children
• Blankets and spare clothing

Maintenance and Storage of Your Hurricane Emergency Kit

Ideally, you would want to have three separate hurricane emergency kits. Yes, this is a lot of gear (and yes, we’re aware it comes at a price), but it is the government's official recommendation.

Home Kit

One of your kits should be a home kit - the supplies should be spread across several packs that you and other adults will carry. If you live alone, pack as much as you believe you can carry (while focusing on the most crucial things). In case you need to evacuate your home, grab the home kit and leave immediately. In case you assess the situation and believe it’s too late to leave, and you should hide in the basement, take your home kit with you.

Car Kit

Your car kit should be the smallest of the three, as it’s only supposed to serve you if you find yourself stranded in a car with no option of leaving it just now. Prioritize the items inside according to the list above, but know that this kit won’t be as large or as broad as the home kit simply because you can’t fit that many things in a single bag you’ll keep in your car.

Work Kit

When disaster strikes, many people will be at work, so it’s important to have a kit that’s very similar to your home kit. Some workplaces even have dedicated areas for this. Similar to your home kit, it’s designed to be grabbed and taken on the road as you evacuate the area, but if it’s too late for that, you can use it for bunkering down.

Emergency Hurricane Kit Maintenance

There’s not much to maintain. Replace expired food and water (most food you buy will last for years, so you won’t need to do this often), check the kit every few months to make sure everything is in place, and rethink your personal needs as they change (new medications, walking aids, etc.).