South Florida Hurricane Prep Basics: A Practical Starter Kit

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Hurricane season in Florida runs June 1–November 30. The calm mistake is waiting for a named storm to shop. Shelves empty, gas lines grow, and delivery windows vanish. This hurricane prep basics assortment is a practical South Florida starter kit aligned with guidance from the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Ready.gov — build it early, then tailor for pets, infants, and medical needs.

Official checklists beat any blog when lives are on the line. Bookmark FloridaDisaster.org, Ready.gov hurricanes, and your county emergency management page. Know your evacuation zone before you need it.

Water, food, and power-out living (aim for 7 days)

Florida guidance increasingly stresses about seven days of supplies per person after recent storm seasons — not the old three-day minimum. Adjust upward for heat, multi-story buildings, and special diets.

• Water: at least one gallon per person per day (drinking + sanitation). Store sealed commercial water or properly filled containers; rotate before expiry.
• Food: ready-to-eat, no-cook or minimal-cook options you will actually eat — canned proteins, nut butters, bars, dried fruit, and infant formula if needed.
• Manual can opener, paper goods, trash bags — when the power is out, dishwashing is optional; hygiene is not.

• Emergency drinking water pouches / cases
• No-cook emergency food assortments
• Manual can opener

Light, alerts, and phone survival

• Flashlights + spare batteries (one light per room beats one fancy lantern you cannot find).
• NOAA Weather Radio — battery or hand-crank, with tone alerts. Cell networks congest; radio still works.
• Power banks + car chargers — charge everything before landfall; keep a car charger for post-storm.
• Whistle and glow sticks — simple signaling if you need help in the dark.

• NOAA weather radio (battery / hand-crank)
• LED flashlights + battery packs
• High-capacity USB power bank
• Emergency whistle + glow sticks

First aid, meds, and documents

• Stocked first-aid kit plus a two-week supply of prescriptions when your doctor allows.
• Copies of IDs, insurance, and med lists in a waterproof pouch (phone photos help; paper survives dead batteries).
• Cash in small bills — card readers fail when power and networks do.
• Mosquito protection for post-storm standing water (our climate does not take storm weeks off).

• Family first-aid kit
• Waterproof document pouch
• Insect repellent

Home and go-bag extras for South Florida

• Heavy-duty garbage bags, duct tape, work gloves, and a basic tool multi-kit for cleanup.
• Rain ponchos and sturdy closed-toe shoes.
• Pet carriers, food, water, meds, and leashes if animals are part of the household.
• Full vehicle fuel before watches turn into last-minute scrambles.

• Heavy-duty work gloves
• Contractor duct tape
• Emergency rain ponchos
• Pet emergency kit supplies

What this kit is not

It is not plywood, generators, or roof work — those are home-hardening decisions with local codes and licensed help. It is not a substitute for evacuation orders. If county officials say go, go.

Related reading

• South Florida beach day kit
• Homemade mosquito trap tips
• Things to Do hub (indoor pivots after storms)

Updated September 2026. Cross-check quantities and zone maps with FloridaDisaster.org and your county every season.