Storm Knowledge: Before, During and After a Hurricane

10 articles for the before stage. Clear

Before the storm

What to do in the days and hours ahead of landfall.

Hurricane Preparation Timeline: 7 Days, 72 Hours, 24 Hours

What to do at each stage before a storm makes landfall, in the order that actually matters.

Preparing Source: Florida Division of Emergency Management

What Actually Belongs in a Hurricane Supply Kit

A practical Florida supply list, including the items people forget until they need them.

Preparing Source: Ready.gov (FEMA) and Florida Division of Emergency Management

Document Your Home Before the Storm: The 30-Minute Inventory

How to record what you own so an insurance claim is a paperwork exercise instead of an argument.

Insurance & claims Source: Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Consumer Services

Your Hurricane Deductible Is Probably Not What You Think

Florida hurricane deductibles are usually a percentage of your coverage, not a flat amount. That difference can be thousands of dollars.

Insurance & claims Source: Florida Department of Financial Services

Flood Insurance Has a 30-Day Waiting Period — What That Means

You cannot buy flood coverage as a storm approaches. Here is the rule, the exceptions, and what to do instead.

Insurance & claims Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program

Know Your Evacuation Zone Before You Need It

Florida evacuates by zone, not by county. Find yours now and decide where you would go.

Preparing Source: Florida Division of Emergency Management

Generator Safety: Carbon Monoxide Kills More People Than the Storm

The rules for portable generators, and why "just in the garage" is how people die after hurricanes.

Safety Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Securing Your Roof and Openings Before Landfall

What actually reduces wind damage, in priority order — and what not to attempt yourself.

Home & damage Source: FEMA and Florida Division of Emergency Management

Prescriptions and Medical Preparation for a Storm

Refills, powered equipment, and the medical details that are hard to reconstruct after a storm.

Health & food Source: Florida Department of Health and Ready.gov

Preparing Your Pets for a Hurricane

Most public shelters do not take animals. Plan for that before the storm, not during it.

Preparing Source: Florida Division of Emergency Management and Ready.gov

About this knowledge base

Every article here summarises published guidance from an official authority — the Florida Division of Emergency Management, FEMA, the National Weather Service, the CDC, the Florida Department of Financial Services and others — and names that authority so you can read the original.

This is general information for Florida residents. It is not legal, insurance, medical or construction advice, and it never replaces instructions from your county emergency management office or an emergency responder.

Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.