Two Reliance 7-gallon Aqua-Tainers
Fourteen gallons per adult provides one week plus a sensible hurricane buffer.
Scale this plan for your household. Multiply water, food, medication, and hygiene supplies by the number of people. Add a normal seven-day supply for every pet. An evacuation order always overrides a plan to shelter at home.
1
Water
Stored water is the primary supply; treatment is backup.
One Sawyer Squeeze filter
Backup treatment for many microbial risks—not saltwater or chemical contamination.
One package of Aquatabs purification tablets
A second treatment method. Follow the label exactly.
Water rule: CDC’s minimum is one gallon per person per day, with a two-week supply preferred when possible. Commercially bottled water is safest; refill home-filled food-grade containers every six months. Filters and tablets do not make saltwater or chemically contaminated floodwater safe. CDC guidance ↗
2
No-cook food
Aim for roughly 14,000 calories per adult and rotate what you already eat.
One 40 oz. jar of peanut butter
Two family-size boxes of crackers
10–14 protein pouches
Tuna, chicken, salmon, beans, or a mix.
About 30 granola bars
Two pounds of trail mix
12 fruit cups
Dried-fruit servings also work.
Electrolyte drink packets
A sturdy manual can opener
Count calories from the actual labels before storing everything. Account for diabetes, allergies, low-sodium diets, infants, and pets. Ready.gov checklist ↗
3
Information, light & phone power
Layer battery, rechargeable, car, and broadcast options.
Midland ER310 NOAA emergency radio
NOAA alerts, AM/FM, rechargeable battery, hand crank, solar trickle charge, and replaceable-battery backup.
One 20,000mAh power bank per adult
Usually about 3–4 typical phone charges after losses.
One LED D-cell lantern
One headlamp per adult
Matching AA, AAA & D batteries
USB car charger and duplicate charging cables
Have a tested cable for every phone and critical device.
NOAA Weather Radio works without cellular internet and can carry weather and other emergency information. National Weather Service ↗
4
Medical & safety
Personal medication matters more than a giant generic first-aid pouch.
298-piece first-aid kit
7+ days of prescriptions
Include copies of prescriptions and a written medication list.
Personal OTC medicines
Pain/fever, allergy, stomach, and anti-diarrheal medicines you already use.
Ten 3M Aura N95 respirators
Nitrile gloves and work gloves
A loud emergency whistle
UL-listed fire extinguisher
Battery-backed CO alarms
Place near sleeping areas.
5
Sanitation
Plan for water and sewer service to fail at the same time.
5-gallon bucket toilet seat & liners
Heavy contractor bags, small bags & zip ties
Toilet paper and no-rinse body wipes
Daily hygiene supplies
Hand sanitizer, soap, toothpaste, feminine products, and continence supplies.
Plain, unscented household bleach
Use 5%–9% sodium hypochlorite, replace periodically, and never mix with other cleaners.
6
Hurricane tools & storage
Keep the kit accessible, labeled, and above expected flood level.
10×12 ft heavy-duty tarp
Gorilla duct tape
Pliers or utility shutoff wrench
Only shut utilities off when instructed or when you know it is necessary.
Rain gear, sturdy shoes & local paper map
Waterproof document pouch
Two clear latching totes
Separate food/water accessories from equipment.
7
Offline essentials
Especially useful when payment, communications, or identity systems are down.
One week of small-bill cash
ATMs and card terminals can fail. Ready.gov ↗
Printed contacts & plans
Emergency, insurance, utility, medications, evacuation route, and meeting locations.
Secure copies of key documents
Paper identification and insurance records, plus password-protected digital copies.
Spare house & vehicle keys
A full vehicle fuel tank
Top off early when a storm threatens.
Seven days of pet supplies
Food, medicine, leash/carrier, records, and extra water.
+
Optional power upgrade
Useful for a CPAP, laptops, and communications equipment.
EcoFlow RIVER 2–class LiFePO₄ power station
Calculate each device’s wattage and test real runtime before relying on it. A small station will not run an ordinary refrigerator continuously for a week.
Generator safety: A gasoline generator is not a generic indoor backup. Generators, grills, and camp stoves stay outdoors—at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents—with a working CO alarm inside. CDC generator guidance ↗
$
Expected budget
Prices and Amazon sellers change; these are planning ranges, not quotes.
Food + water gear$140–220
Radio + power + light$140–220
Medical + sanitation + tools$110–185
Total from scratch: about $390–625. This excludes prescriptions, cash, bottled water, pet supplies, and the optional power station. Reusing sound household supplies can reduce the total considerably.
✓
Before conditions arrive
Do these early—before roads, stores, and networks are overloaded.
Charge every battery and device
Fill and date water containers
Test radio and CO alarms
Bring outdoor objects inside
Photograph the property
Fuel the vehicle
Confirm evacuation route and destination
Follow evacuation orders
Leave when ordered. Flooding, storm surge, fire, structural damage, or official evacuation instructions can make sheltering at home unsafe. CDC hurricane safety ↗