The most effective hurricane preparation checklist starts with your family's safety — an emergency plan, a stocked kit, and a way to get storm alerts — before moving on to home protection steps like trimming trees, clearing gutters, and reviewing your insurance. Do the safety steps first; the home steps second.
Hurricane season has a way of sneaking up, and once a storm is named and tracking toward your area, there's rarely enough time to prepare from scratch. The good news is that a little preparation earlier in the season goes a long way. This checklist is built around one core idea: take care of your people first, then take care of your home.
Every household in a hurricane-prone community should have a simple emergency plan, and it doesn't need to be complicated. Decide now who's responsible for each family member, including pets, and agree on a meeting point if you get separated. Identify your evacuation zone through your local emergency management office, and talk through two scenarios: what you'll do if you're told to evacuate, and what you'll do if you're asked to shelter in place. Share the plan with every adult in the home so no one is figuring it out for the first time during a warning.
A well-stocked kit should cover at least three to five days without power or easy access to stores. Aim to include water (a gallon per person per day), non-perishable food, a battery or hand-crank radio, flashlights and extra batteries, a first aid kit, a supply of any prescription medications, phone chargers and a portable battery pack, and copies of important documents like IDs and insurance information stored in a waterproof bag. If you have young children, older adults, or family members with medical needs in the home, build their specific requirements into the kit now rather than during a scramble later.
During a storm, accurate information matters as much as supplies. Sign up for your county's emergency alert system, and follow your local emergency management office and the National Hurricane Center for updates. A battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio is worth having on hand in case cell service or power goes out. Knowing where to get trustworthy, real-time information means you can make decisions quickly instead of guessing.
Once your family's plan and kit are in place, it's time to turn to the home itself. Walk your yard and look for anything that could become a projectile in high winds — patio furniture, planters, trash cans, grills, and decorations should all be brought inside or secured. If you have trees or large shrubs near the home, trim back dead branches well before hurricane season, since overgrown limbs are one of the most common causes of storm damage to roofs and windows. Clear gutters and downspouts so rainwater has somewhere to go instead of backing up toward the roofline or foundation.
Inside, move valuables and important documents to a higher floor or interior closet away from windows. If you have a garage, make sure the door is in good working condition since garage doors are a common failure point in high winds. This is also a good time to take photos or a video walkthrough of your home's condition, room by room, so you have a clear record of how things looked before the storm. And if you notice anything during this walkthrough that needs attention — a loose window seal, a slow-draining gutter, a garage door that sticks — submit a request through your resident portal so your MainStreet Maintenance® team can take a look before the weather turns.
Take a few minutes to review your personal property insurance policy so you understand what's covered before a storm, not after. Confirm you know how to reach your insurance provider and have your policy number saved somewhere accessible, like in your emergency kit or phone.
What should be the first step in hurricane preparation? Start with your family's safety plan — knowing your evacuation zone, agreeing on a meeting point, and deciding how you'll get storm alerts — before focusing on home protection steps.
How much water should I store for a hurricane? A general guideline is one gallon of water per person, per day, for at least three to five days.
When should I trim trees and clear gutters before hurricane season? Ideally, well before hurricane season begins, since overgrown branches and clogged gutters are common causes of storm damage and are harder to address once a storm is already approaching.
Preparation is one of the best gifts you can give your family heading into hurricane season — a little effort now means a lot less stress later. And if any part of your home needs attention along the way, your MainStreet Renewal team is here to help. Submit a maintenance request through your resident portal any time you spot something worth a second look.
For local storm resources, please see our latest blog here.