Checklist
Various checklist to help you prepare for the storm
Introduction
The following samples are a useful starting place as you build out your own checklists. This is just a starting place, and all checklists should be customized for your specific needs.
Hurricane Preparedness Action Plan Sample
Perhaps the most important step in preparing for hurricane season is the creation of a Hurricane Preparedness Action Plan. This plan describes each task that must be completed before the arrival of a hurricane, along with the priority of the task, an estimate of how long it will take to complete the task, and the person responsible for performing the task. I prefer to put this plan into a spreadsheet to make it easier to modify and sort, but even a notepad and pencil are betting than nothing.
This list should be completed with the input from every person in the home who will be performing these tasks so they may have input. This also allows everyone in the family to discuss why the tasks are being done, and how they should be performed.
Obviously, all of these lists should be adapted to your personal needs.
Hurricane Preparedness Shopping List Sample
The next list that should be assembled is the Hurricane Preparedness Shopping List. This is a simple, prioritized list of all the items you think you will need to get through a hurricane, tropical storm, or flood event. Even if you have a generator to run your refrigerator or freezer, you should probably plan to stock up primarily on non-perishable items in case your generator fails or you run out of gas.
At our house, and based on how long it took for service to return to normal after Hurricanes Ike and Harvey, we stock the shelves with food, drink, and snacks for at least ten days. Even after the stores reopen, you can expect long lines and shortages of many of your favorite products. By stocking up on the items we normally consume, if we don't need everything we purchased for the hurricane, we just keep it on the shelves for future use. This minimizes waste and allows us to have a bit of a buffer for future emergencies.
Hurricane Preparedness Essentials List Sample
The Hurricane Prep Essentials List is new for 2026. I thought separating the essential hardware items for hurricane preparedness for the home warranted its own list. This is especially useful for prompting you to purchase items early in the season that have longer lead times, such as flashlights, generators, Plylox clips, etc.
Hurricane Checklist Consolidated Sample
This file is comprised of six tabs that cover the various aspects of hurricane preparedness, such as:
- Household items
- Auto & Evacuation
- First Aid & Meds
- Food
-Tools
-Pets
The items in these six categories have been refined and updated for more than 25 years, creating the most comprehensive list on the subject that I’ve ever seen.