storms.report

Guide

Storm prep kit

What to have before a hurricane or a severe storm, by what it does: hear the warning, keep power and light, keep water and food. Each section starts with the official guidance, linked. Buy before the watch is issued: stores empty fast once a storm has a name.

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Weather radios

A battery or hand-crank radio, and a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone alert, are on the basic kit list. A SAME radio alarms only for the counties you set. ready.gov

  • Midland WR120 weather alert radio

    A tabletop alarm radio with SAME county codes and battery backup. Wakes you for a warning at night.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Midland ER310 emergency crank radio

    Weather band plus AM/FM, a flashlight and a USB output; charges by crank, solar or batteries.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Hand-crank weather radio with phone charger

    A cheaper portable option for a go-bag or a second room.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

Battery power stations

Fuel-burning generators have to run outdoors, away from the house. A battery power station has no exhaust, so it can run indoors: a phone, a fan, a CPAP or a small fridge through an outage. CDC on generators

  • Jackery Explorer 1000 v2

    About 1 kWh: a phone for weeks, a fan through the night, or a fridge for some hours. Recharges from a wall, a car or solar.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • EcoFlow DELTA 2

    A similar size with fast wall charging, useful when power comes back for only a few hours at a time.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Anker SOLIX C1000

    Another 1 kWh class station; many outlets for a household.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Jackery SolarSaga 100W panel

    Folding panel that recharges a power station during a multi-day outage.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

Generators

Never run a generator inside a home or garage, even with the doors open. Keep it outside, at least 20 feet from doors, windows and vents, and run a battery carbon monoxide alarm indoors. CDC

  • Battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm

    Buy this first. Carbon monoxide has no smell, and generator exhaust kills people every hurricane season.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Champion dual fuel inverter generator

    Runs on gasoline or propane; propane stores for years where gasoline goes stale.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Honda EU2200i inverter generator

    Quiet and fuel-efficient for a fridge, lights and chargers.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Heavy-duty outdoor extension cord

    Long enough to keep the generator 20 feet from the house.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

Flashlights and lanterns

A flashlight and extra batteries are on the basic kit list. Use battery lights, not candles, when the power is out. ready.gov

Batteries and charging

Extra batteries, and a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery, are on the basic kit list. ready.gov

Water storage, capture and filtration

Store one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation. ready.gov

  • WaterBOB bathtub storage bladder

    Fills a clean bladder in the bathtub before landfall: about 100 gallons kept clean.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7-gallon container

    Stackable stored water with a spigot.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Sawyer Squeeze water filter

    Filters bacteria and protozoa from water you collect; light enough for a go-bag.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • LifeStraw personal water filter

    One per person in an evacuation bag.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Water purification tablets

    Treat stored or collected water when you cannot boil it.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Rain barrel with diverter

    Captures roof runoff for flushing and cleaning; filter and treat it before drinking.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

Food and cooking

Keep at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food, and a manual can opener. ready.gov

Two-way and ham radios

FRS walkie-talkies need no license. GMRS radios need an FCC license, and transmitting on amateur (ham) frequencies needs an amateur license; anyone may listen. FCC

  • FRS walkie-talkies

    No license; keeps a family or street in touch when phones are down, over short range.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Midland GMRS two-way radios

    Longer range than FRS. One FCC license covers the household.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Yaesu FT-65R handheld ham radio

    A dual-band handheld for licensed operators: local repeaters and emergency nets.

    Find it on Amazon ↗

  • Shortwave radio with SSB

    Hears the Coast Guard marine broadcasts and the Hurricane Watch Net (see the weather radio guide).

    Find it on Amazon ↗

First aid, tools and documents

The basic kit adds a first aid kit, a whistle, dust masks, plastic sheeting and duct tape, a wrench or pliers, and local maps. ready.gov

Before the storm