Prepare for hurricane season: What to pack in your emergency kit
When you're in the thick of a crisis, every minute counts — which is why having a bag of pre-packed essentials can be so vital to ensuring your family's safety. Whether it's severe weather, a power outage or regional unrest due to a larger conflict, emergencies can strike when you least expect them; but having a prepared go-bag can help you navigate any crisis with a little more confidence and support.
A go-bag or "grab-and-go bag" is exactly what it sounds like: A designated bundle or pack that's filled with just enough emergency essentials to sustain you (and your family) in the event of catastrophe or displacement.
From a First Aid kit to a portable power bank and nonperishable food items, your go-bag essentials might vary depending on your family size and needs—especially if you have toddlers, kiddos or pets.
How to prepare for hurricane season
Preparing for hurricane season takes more than supplies — it means planning ahead for your home, your family, and what you’ll do before, during and after a storm.
- Make sure your insurance coverage is up to date and actually reflects your current home value and belongings. After a storm is not the time to discover gaps in coverage.
- Document your home and property now. Take recent photos and video of every room, including closets, garages and storage areas. Do the same for the outside of your home, vehicles and larger valuables. Store copies in the cloud and on a secure drive.
- Tidy up your yard. Trim trees, remove dead branches, secure outdoor furniture, grills and anything that could become airborne in high winds.
- Set up weather alerts through multiple channels. Use phone alerts, NOAA Weather Radio and at least one additional app or local news alert system so you are not relying on a single source.
- Create a family emergency plan. Decide where you would go, how you would communicate if separated, and what routes you would take if evacuation is needed. Make sure everyone in the household understands it, not just one person.
- Keep cash on hand in small bills, since card systems and ATMs can fail during power outages. Store it along with essential documents like IDs, insurance papers, medical records and property deeds in a waterproof, fire-resistant container or safe.
- Strengthen your home where possible. Know your weak points ahead of time, like garage doors, older windows or roof edges. If you have shutters, make sure they're installed and sturdy. If not, have plywood cut and stored in advance.
- Know your evacuation zones and routes in advance. Don’t wait for a warning to figure out where you’re going or how you’ll get there. Have at least one backup route in case roads are blocked.
- It can also help to practice your plan. Time how long it takes to gather your go-bag and family — including pets — secure your home, and leave. A dry run makes it easier to move quickly and reduces confusion when conditions are real and time-sensitive.
- Finally, prepare for what comes after the storm. Have a plan for returning home safely, and build an after-disaster checklist so you know what to look for and what steps to take once conditions are stable.
Building an emergency plan with children
Children need a simple, practiced plan and a few key safety tools so they know what to do and how to reconnect with you during an emergency.
- Designate a “safe meeting spot” both inside and outside the home, and keep it simple — like a specific tree, mailbox, or a neighbor’s house. Kids should be able to repeat it back without prompting.
- Pack a child-specific section of the go-bag with comfort items, basic hygiene supplies, snacks they’ll actually eat, and any medications with clear dosing instructions.
- Consider identification for children, such as ID bracelets, tags, or cards with waterproof sleeves, that include a parent or guardian’s phone number and key medical information. This can help first responders or trusted adults quickly reunite families if you become separated. For everyday use, avoid putting home addresses on items they wear and keep that information securely stored instead.
- If children are in school or daycare, confirm emergency pickup procedures and who is authorized to collect them. Make sure the school has up-to-date contact information and backup contacts on file.
What to pack: emergency go-bag essentials
A "go bag" or "grab-and-go bag" is basically a pre-packed bundle of emergency essentials that can help you better navigate a time of crisis—whether it's a power outage, case of extreme weather or regional unrest due to conflict or war. Per the U.S. Department of State website, it's advised that people have a 72-hour kit prepared, with emergency items that can help sustain you and your family for (at minimum) 72 hours. Those include:
- 3-day supply of nonperishable food and water (per person)
- First Aid kit
- Batteries
- Personal documents (driver's license, passport, birth certificate)
- A flashlight
- Sanitary supplies
- Medications
- Extra clothes
Below, we’ve compiled a general go-bag checklist with essentials, as well as a few often-overlooked items, that can help you stay better prepared in an emergency.
First Aid kit
Chargers and power banks
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Nonperishable food
A water filter and water tablets for clean drinking water
Disinfectant wipes
Medications
A flashlight
A portable power station
A reusable water bottle
Communication tools
Pet supplies
Miscellaneous emergency essentials
Brandi D. Addison covers weather across the United States as the Weather Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. She can be reached at [email protected]. Find her on Facebook here.
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