There’s a particular smell to the air before a big storm. If you grew up where I did, you know it the second it hits you.
I spent most of my life on the Space Coast of Florida, Brevard County, just miles from the Kennedy Space Center. I went to Merritt Island High School. I grew up watching shuttles climb into the sky, swimming year-round, and wearing shorts on Christmas morning. And every single summer, I grew up bracing for hurricane season, because where there’s warm water and sunshine, there are also storms that can change everything in an afternoon.
We never took a single one lightly. Category 1 or Category 5, we prepared, and most of the time we evacuated. (I’ll be honest with you in a minute about why I almost always left.)
Later, after fifteen months deployed to Iraq, I came home and served as a full-time member of the Army National Guard. I got activated for wildfires, border missions, and yes … hurricane duty. That’s where I learned something that has never left me: the storm itself is only half the danger. The other half is how unprepared people are when it arrives.
These days I’m a long way from the beach. We’ve put down roots in South Georgia, where my husband and I are raising our two teenage daughters in a slower, quieter season of life after his Air Force retirement. And here’s the thing people forget: storms still reach us up here. We don’t get the storm surge, but we absolutely get the wind, the flooding, the tornados, the days without power, and the long anxious nights. Inland is not the same as immune.
So whether you’re on the coast staring down a mandatory evacuation, or inland like us wondering how bad it’ll really get, this is the calm, practical guide I wish someone had handed me the first time. No panic. No doom. Just a plan.
Why I Still Take Storm Season Seriously (Even Inland)
When I did hurricane duty, I watched people stay when they were told to go. Some believed it wouldn’t be that bad. Some couldn’t bear to leave their belongings behind. The reasons were endless, and I understand every one of them.
But here’s what I needed them to understand: when a storm turns severe and someone who stayed suddenly needs rescuing, it’s the first responders and the Guard members who go out into that danger to reach them. Firefighters, police officers, and soldiers risking their own lives because an evacuation was skipped. Once the storm is raging, help often cannot come. That’s not a scare tactic. That’s the whole reason a mandatory evacuation gets issued in the first place.
So I prepare early, I take warnings seriously, and I never, ever roll my eyes at “it’s probably nothing.” Your belongings can be replaced. You cannot.
When to Start Preparing
The honest answer: before the cone of uncertainty ever points your way.
Shelves empty fast. Gas stations run dry. Plywood disappears. If you wait until a storm has a name and a track headed toward you, you’ll be fighting traffic and crowds for the basics. The calmest version of you is the one who keeps a few essentials on hand year-round and tops everything off the moment a system starts forming in warm water.
A good rhythm:
- Off-season: Keep a basic kit and your important documents organized.
- A storm forms: Top off water, fuel, and medications. Check your supplies.
- A watch or warning is issued: Finish home prep, decide whether you’re staying or going, and if you’re leaving, leave early.
Your Hurricane Supply List
I’ve organized this the way I actually shop and pack, so it feels less overwhelming. A general guideline many emergency agencies give is to plan for at least one gallon of water per person, per day, and to stock enough supplies to last about two weeks, since power and water can be out far longer than you’d expect.
Water & Fuel
- Fill your car’s gas tank, and fill safe, approved gas cans if you run a generator.
- Fill propane tanks.
- Store plenty of drinking water (that gallon-per-person-per-day guideline, ideally for two weeks).
- Fill every clean jug, pitcher, and even bathtub you can with tap water for cooking, cleaning, and hygiene.
- Get a good cooler and as much ice as it’ll hold, to protect food once the power goes.
Food That Actually Nourishes You
You don’t have to live on crackers for two weeks. Stock shelf-stable foods that are genuinely comforting and keep you fed and steady:
- Canned beans, soups, chili, and stews
- Canned or pouched tuna, chicken, and salmon
- Peanut butter, nut butters, and nuts
- Oats, granola, and cereal with shelf-stable milk
- Canned and dried fruit, applesauce
- Crackers, tortillas, and good bread
- Shelf-stable veggies and rice or pasta you can cook on a grill
- A few “this makes me feel human” treats. They matter more than you’d think when you’re stuck inside for days
Make sure you have safe, appropriate food and water for babies, young children, and elderly family members, plus anything needed for special dietary or medical needs.
Light & Power
- Flashlights (one per person if you can)
- Plenty of batteries
- Battery or solar lanterns
- Power banks for your phones, charged fully before the storm
- A battery-operated weather radio with spare batteries when the power and cell service drop, this becomes your lifeline to information
Cooking & Comfort
- A grill with propane (for use outside only, after the storm has passed, if you’re without power)
- Waterproof matches or a lighter, stored somewhere dry
- A manual can opener (there is nothing worse than a pantry full of cans you can’t open)
- Paper plates, bowls, napkins, and cups
- Baby wipes even if you don’t have a baby. We lived on these for hygiene when we were deployed without running water, and they’re a small comfort when you can’t shower.
Tools & Safety
- Duct tape, work gloves, and garbage bags
- Tarps for quick roof or window patches
- A tool kit kept close at hand
- A fire extinguisher
- A well-stocked first aid kit
- Hand sanitizer
Documents & Medications
- Gather your important documents — birth certificates, Social Security cards, marriage license, insurance paperwork, military and VA records — and seal them in a waterproof bag kept somewhere you can grab in seconds.
- Keep at least a two-week supply of any daily medications. Talk to your pharmacy early; many will refill ahead of a storm.
For Your Pets
- Food and water for two weeks
- Medications
- Vaccination and ownership paperwork in your waterproof bag
- A carrier, leash, and a plan for a pet-friendly shelter if you evacuate. Pets are family. We don’t leave family.
A note on cash: Pull out some cash before a storm. If power stays down, card readers and ATMs may not work, and cash becomes king for fuel and supplies.
Getting Your Home Ready
- Protect your windows and doors with plywood or storm shutters.
- Bring everything inside, furniture, toys, trash cans, garden decor, anything that could become a projectile in high wind. I’d even clear the porch; screens tend to give way.
- If you have a garage, parking a car sideways in front of the door can help brace it against the wind.
- Anchor anything too big to move — a trampoline or swingset, for example — with heavy cable secured to a sturdy tree.
- Set up your generator properly and safely before the storm. Never run it indoors or in a garage.
- Sandbags in front of doorways and the garage can help hold back flooding.
- Turn your fridge and freezer to their coldest setting and keep them closed as much as possible to make your food last after the power goes.
- Photograph your home and belongings, inside and out, before the storm. If you have damage later, you’ll be grateful you did.
If You’re Evacuating
If you’re in a mobile home, a low-lying area, or a mandatory evacuation zone please, just go. I say that with so much love. Once the storm starts, help may not be able to reach you, and that’s exactly why the order was given.
Before you leave:
- Unplug electronics and appliances.
- Move furniture toward the center of rooms, and stack or raise what you can in case of flooding.
- Turn off propane and unplug major appliances.
- Grab your documents bag, medications, pets, and a few irreplaceable photos.
- Leave early. Evacuation traffic is slow and heavy. Pack a cooler, load a tablet with movies for the kids, fill the gas tank, and give yourself far more time than you think you need.
Belongings can be replaced. Get your people out.
During the Storm
- Keep the weather radio on at all times.
- Stay inside. Don’t open doors or windows.
- Use flashlights and battery lanterns once the power’s out, never candles.
- Stay away from windows and doors; debris can come through with little warning.
- Do not go outside, even in the eerie calm of the eye. Wait until emergency officials say it’s truly safe.
One old piece of storm-country wisdom I grew up with: keep interior doors managed and stay toward the center of the house, away from glass. A builder once told my family the pressure changes can stress a house mid-storm. I can’t speak to the engineering of it, but staying centered and away from windows is solid advice either way.
A Gentle Word About Storm Anxiety
Here’s the honest part I promised you.
I almost always evacuated, not just because it was smart, but because I am genuinely, deeply afraid of severe storms. The thunder, the howling wind, the not-knowing. It undoes something in me. For years I felt embarrassed about that. A combat veteran, afraid of weather?
But healing has taught me to stop arguing with my own nervous system. If you’ve lived through hard things — deployment, trauma, loss — a storm can press on every alarm bell you have. Your fear isn’t weakness or drama. It’s a body that’s been paying attention. The goal isn’t to feel nothing. It’s to feel it and keep yourself safe anyway.
So if storm season stirs up anxiety, panic, or old trauma for you, please be tender with yourself. Make your plan early so the fear has less room to grow. Keep your people close. Pray if prayer is your anchor; I lean hard on mine. And if it ever gets heavier than you can carry alone, reach out, you don’t have to white-knuckle it.
For veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve members, and the people who love them, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7: Dial 988, then Press 1, text 838255, or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat. It’s free, confidential, and you decide how much to share. There is no shame in it. There’s only the next right step.
Keeping Calm With Kids in the House
If you have children riding out a storm with you, remember they’re watching you to learn how scared they should be. The calmer you can be, the safer they’ll feel.
The handful of storms we did stay for, we made the best of it. We pulled air mattresses into the living room and called it a slumber party. We played board games, worked puzzles, told stories by lantern light. My girls are teenagers now, so it looks a little different — more card games and shared playlists than picture books — but the heart of it is the same: presence over panic, togetherness over fear.
Slow the moment down. Light a candle of gratitude after the storm, not during (battery lanterns until then, remember). And let the forced stillness be what it can be. A strange, sacred pause where the to-do list disappears and it’s just your family, weathering something hard, together.
You’re Not Facing It Alone
If you’re reading this with a storm on the way, please hear me: prepare like it’s serious, because it is. If you’re told to evacuate, go. Everything in your house can be replaced — you cannot. Grab your photos, grab your pets, grab your people, and get somewhere safe.
And know that someone out here understands exactly what you’re feeling, because I’ve stood where you’re standing more times than I can count. You are not overreacting. You are not alone. You’re being brave in a hard moment, and that counts for something.
Stay safe, friend. You’re in my thoughts and my prayers. 💛
Hurricane Prep FAQ
How much water should I store for a hurricane? A common guideline is at least one gallon per person, per day, with enough to last about two weeks. Don’t forget water for pets, cooking, and basic hygiene.
How long should my supplies last? Plan for roughly two weeks. Power, water, and access to stores can be disrupted far longer than people expect, especially after a major storm.
Should I evacuate even if I’m inland? Inland areas don’t usually face storm surge, but they do see damaging wind, flooding, and long power outages. Follow your local emergency officials. If you’re in a mandatory evacuation zone, a mobile home, or a low-lying area, leave wherever you are.
What’s the most-forgotten hurricane supply? A manual can opener, spare batteries for the weather radio, and a two-week supply of medications. Cash is another big one. Card systems often go down with the power.
Is it safe to use a generator during a storm? Only when set up correctly and run outdoors, well away from windows and doors, never inside a home or garage. Carbon monoxide is deadly and silent.
How do I help my kids feel safe during a hurricane? Stay as calm as you can, since children take their cues from you. Make it cozy with games, snacks, a living-room campout and keep routines and reassurance going. Your steadiness is their safety.
Note: This post was originally published in October 2016 and has been thoroughly updated for accuracy, clarity, and to reflect where our family is today. Some details have changed, but the heart of it hasn’t: prepare early, stay safe, and take care of your people.
Excellent article!!! Everyone’s prayers were answered.