Hurricanes, Know Your Evacuation Zone, Never Drive in Floods
Before a hurricane, find out whether you live in an evacuation zone, learn your evacuation routes, practice them with your household and pets and decide where you’ll stay; if you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and local officials tell you to evacuate, go immediately. Don’t walk, swim or drive through floodwater: Ready.gov says just six inches (about 15 cm) of fast-moving water can knock you down, and one foot (about 30 cm) of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
This article follows Ready.gov’s hurricane page: the hurricane seasons, and what to do before, during and after a hurricane.
Hurricane seasons
- Atlantic: June 1 to November 30.
- Eastern Pacific: May 15 to November 30.
- Central Pacific: June 1 to November 30.
Before a hurricane
Ready.gov explains (Ready.gov hurricanes):
- Know your evacuation zone: if you live in an evacuation zone, you may have to evacuate quickly when a hurricane comes.
- Evacuation routes: learn your evacuation routes, practice them with your household and pets and decide where you’ll stay; follow the instructions of local emergency managers.
- Supplies: have enough supplies for your household, including medication, disinfectant supplies and pet supplies, since you may not be able to get them for days or weeks.
- Insurance and documents: keep insurance policies and personal documents such as ID up to date, and store copies in a secure, password-protected digital space.
- Alerts: download the FEMA app for real-time National Weather Service alerts for up to five locations nationwide, and sign up for community alerts too.
- Phone: keep your phone charged when a hurricane is in the forecast, and buy backup charging devices.
- Home: de-clutter drains and gutters, bring in outside furniture and consider hurricane shutters.
During a hurricane
- Mandatory evacuation: if you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and local officials tell you to evacuate, go immediately.
- High winds: take refuge in a designated storm shelter or an interior room.
- Trapped by rising water: go to the highest level of the building, and don’t climb into a closed attic.
- Floodwater: don’t walk, swim or drive through floodwater; Ready.gov’s slogan is “Turn Around. Don’t Drown!”
- Water depth: six inches (about 15 cm) of fast-moving water can knock you down, and one foot (about 30 cm) of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
After a hurricane
- Instructions: follow the instructions of local officials.
- Cleanup: wear protective clothing and an appropriate face covering or mask, and work with someone else; children should not help with cleanup.
- Electrical safety: don’t touch wet electrical equipment, and don’t touch electrical equipment while standing in water.
- Floodwater: don’t wade in it; floodwater can carry pathogens, debris, chemicals, waste and wildlife, and downed power lines can electrify it.
- Communication: save phone calls for emergencies, and use text messages or social media otherwise.
- Damage: photograph damage to your property and contact your insurance company.
For which alerts the FEMA app sends and how to find shelters by text, see Free FEMA App Alerts for 5 Places, Texts Find Shelters; for what supplies to stock, see Emergency Kits, 1 Gallon of Water a Day Each, Food for Days; for how to reach each other and where to meet if your family is separated, see Family Emergency Plan in 4 Steps, Pick a Meeting Place First. Our tools site has a guide on what to do first after a hurricane or flood.
What this article did not check
- Whether you live in an evacuation zone: Ready.gov’s page tells you to know your zone but doesn’t link a lookup tool, and this article did not check.
- Whether to buy flood insurance: the page only links the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) under additional resources and doesn’t say to buy it; this article draws no conclusion.
- When it’s safe to return home: the page doesn’t say, so this article doesn’t either.
Frequently asked questions
When is Atlantic hurricane season?
June 1 to November 30.
If officials say to evacuate, should I go right away?
Yes. Ready.gov says if you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and local officials tell you to evacuate, go immediately.
The water on the road doesn’t look deep. Can I drive through it?
No. Ready.gov says don’t drive through floodwater; one foot (about 30 cm) of moving water can sweep your vehicle away.
What should I do first after a hurricane?
Follow the instructions of local officials, photograph damage to your property and contact your insurance company.
Sources and dates checked
All checked on 2026-10-31.
- Ready.gov, Hurricanes (page updated 2026-10-16):https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes