Hurricane
A hurricane gives you several days of warning. The problem is that those days disappear fast if you don't know what actions to take and when. Most hurricane deaths — particularly in major storms — come from storm surge, not wind. Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall as a Category 3 storm in 2005, produced a storm surge of 25–28 feet (7.6–8.5 m) above normal tide levels along the Mississippi coast.
Hurricane Ike in 2008 made landfall as a Category 2 but pushed a 24-foot (7.3 m) surge. The Saffir-Simpson scale tells you about wind. It does not tell you about water.
Understanding what the scale measures — and what it doesn't — is the first step to making sound decisions before a storm arrives.
The Saffir-Simpson scale
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rates hurricanes from Category 1 to Category 5 based solely on maximum sustained wind speed. It was updated in 2009 to remove storm surge estimates, because surge height depends heavily on local geography (coastline angle, seafloor slope, bay geometry) and not just wind speed.
| Category | Wind Speed | Expected Damage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 74–95 mph (119–153 km/h) | Roof shingles, gutters, vinyl siding, some downed trees |
| 2 | 96–110 mph (154–177 km/h) | Shallow-rooted trees uprooted; near-total loss of power |
| 3 | 111–129 mph (179–208 km/h) | Structural roof damage, isolated building failures; major utilities out days to weeks |
| 4 | 130–156 mph (209–251 km/h) | Severe exterior wall damage; extensive roof failures; uninhabitable for weeks |
| 5 | 157+ mph (253+ km/h) | Near-complete destruction of most framed buildings; areas uninhabitable for months |
Categories 3 through 5 are classified as major hurricanes by the National Hurricane Center. But Category 1 and 2 storms remain genuinely dangerous — especially for anyone in a surge zone, a mobile home, or a building with prior damage.
Storm surge: the actual killer
Storm surge is a rise in sea level pushed ahead of and alongside a hurricane. It arrives as an inland flood, often before peak winds, and its depth can overwhelm any structure not designed for sustained water immersion.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s SLOSH (Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes) model estimates surge potential by local geography. Typical ranges by category:
- Category 1: 4–5 feet (1.2–1.5 m) above normal tide
- Category 2: 6–8 feet (1.8–2.4 m)
- Category 3: 9–12 feet (2.7–3.7 m)
- Category 4: 13–18 feet (4.0–5.5 m)
- Category 5: 18+ feet (5.5+ m), potentially catastrophic in low-lying areas
These are medians in typical coastal geometry. Actual surge can significantly exceed these values — as Katrina demonstrated — based on storm approach angle and local bathymetry. A shallow-slope Gulf Coast shelf produces dramatically more surge than a steep Atlantic coast shelf at the same wind speed.
Your evacuation zone, not the storm category, is your trigger
Most coastal jurisdictions use lettered surge zones (A through E) ranked by surge vulnerability. Zone A floods in any significant storm and should evacuate for any approaching hurricane. Checking your category rather than your zone is one of the most dangerous errors people make. Confirm your zone at your county emergency management website before hurricane season, not during.
Evacuation timing
The window between "leave now" and "too late to leave safely" is shorter than most people expect.
72 hours before landfall: Storm watches posted. Roads are open and light. Fuel is available. This is when high-risk Zone A residents (especially those with mobility limitations, pets, livestock, or long drive routes) should depart. Hotel availability at destinations 200+ miles (320+ km) inland is still reasonable.
48 hours before landfall: Storm warnings posted. Mandatory evacuation orders may be issued for coastal zones. Traffic volume begins to increase on evacuation routes. Fuel stations in coastal areas start to run out. This is the last comfortable window for most Zone A and B households to leave.
24 hours before landfall: Roads are congested. Contraflow (both lanes going inland) may be in effect but slowdowns are severe. Fuel is scarce. Public shelters are filling.
Departures from coastal zones become increasingly difficult and dangerous. Leave earlier.
12 hours before landfall: Tropical storm force winds (39+ mph / 63+ km/h) are possible in some coastal areas. Tree branches down, reduced visibility. Departure from high-surge zones at this point is life-threatening.
Field note
Pre-position a full tank of gas starting 96 hours before projected landfall. Every gas station on a major evacuation route sells out within hours of mandatory evacuation orders. If you wait to fill up until the order comes, you may be driving on fumes through gridlock. Keep a 5-gallon (19 L) fuel can as backup reserve — see fuel management for safe storage guidance.
The 72-hour kit vs. extended shelter needs
If you are evacuating, your priority kit is 72 hours of portable supplies:
- Water: at least 1 gallon (3.8 L) per person per day — a family of four needs a minimum of 12 gallons (45 L)
- Food requiring no refrigeration and minimal cooking: shelf-stable meals, nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter
- Prescription medications for 7+ days (storms can delay return for a week or more)
- Phone chargers, backup battery banks
- Copies of important documents in a waterproof bag (insurance, ID, prescriptions)
- Cash — card readers often fail in affected areas for days after a storm
- Pet carriers, food, vaccination records for animals
- Change of clothing, sleeping bags or blankets
If you are sheltering in place (confirmed outside surge zones), your supply requirements scale to the storm's expected aftermath:
Major hurricane aftermath typically involves 7–21 days without reliable grid power. Category 4 and 5 storms can displace utility crews, damage transmission infrastructure, and delay restoration for weeks. The energy and food storage Foundations apply directly here.
Key shelter-in-place supplies beyond 72 hours:
- Stored water sufficient for 2+ weeks: 2 gallons (7.6 L) per person per day for drinking and basic sanitation
- Non-refrigerated food for 14–21 days minimum
- Portable propane or camp stove for cooking (do not use indoors — carbon monoxide)
- Manual can opener, utensils
- Backup lighting: battery lanterns and headlamps — candles create fire risk in post-storm debris conditions
- Battery or hand-crank NOAA weather radio for official updates when cell networks are congested or down
Structural preparations before the storm
Windows and doors: Hurricane shutters or plywood rated for your local wind zone significantly reduce structural failure risk. Standard window glass shatters at sustained winds above 80 mph (129 km/h). Boarding must be completed before tropical storm-force winds arrive — attempting this at 40+ mph (64+ km/h) is dangerous.
Garage doors: The most common residential structural failure in hurricanes is garage door collapse, which depressurizes the structure and leads to roof loss. Reinforce or brace garage doors before the storm, or keep them closed and brace them from inside.
Roof straps: In areas with older construction, hurricane straps or clips at the roof-to-wall connection are the single highest-value structural upgrade for preventing roof loss.
Clear the yard: Any unsecured object in your yard — furniture, planters, grills, decorations, small sheds — becomes a projectile at 80+ mph (129+ km/h). Clear everything inside or secure it tightly.
Anchor or cut marginal trees: A 40-foot (12 m) dead oak falling on your house will destroy the roof whether the tree is technically in your yard or a neighbor's. Identify hazard trees and address them before hurricane season.
During the storm
Stay inside throughout the entire storm. The calm at the eye passage is temporary — a hurricane's eye can pass in 20 minutes to two hours before the back eyewall, which carries the second round of highest winds, arrives from the opposite direction. People who go outside during the eye to inspect damage are caught in the back eyewall every year.
If the building begins to fail — roof torn, walls breached, or flooding entering — move to an interior room without windows on the lowest floor (unless flooding, in which case move up). A bathtub provides partial structural protection from debris impacts.
After the storm
Wait for official all-clear before venturing outside. Hazards that kill in the hours after a storm:
- Downed power lines: Assume every downed line is energized. Keep 30 feet (9 m) of clearance.
- Generator carbon monoxide: Generators must be placed at least 20 feet (6 m) from any window, door, or vent. Running a generator inside a garage with the door open has killed families.
- Floodwater: Six inches (15 cm) of moving water can knock a person down; 12 inches (30 cm) can carry away a small vehicle. Floodwater contains sewage, chemicals, and submerged hazards.
- Chainsaw injuries: More people are injured and killed by chainsaws clearing debris after storms than by the storms themselves. Chainsaw safety protocols matter.
Practical checklist
- Confirm your household's hurricane surge zone before season starts — post it inside a kitchen cabinet
- Fill gas tank 96 hours before projected landfall
- Assemble 72-hour evacuation kit: water, food, medication, documents, cash, phone charger
- Store 14–21 days of non-refrigerated food and 2 weeks of water for shelter-in-place scenarios
- Board windows and secure yard objects at 72 hours before expected landfall
- Identify the nearest official public shelter that accepts pets (if applicable)
- Program NOAA Weather Radio frequencies into a battery/hand-crank radio
- Pre-plan evacuation route with two alternates and a destination 200+ miles (320+ km) inland
- Establish a communication plan — see communications planning — with out-of-area contacts who confirm everyone is safe
For long-duration aftermath, the same skills that apply to any extended grid-down scenario — water management, food rotation, medical self-sufficiency — determine whether you recover in days or weeks. Start building those foundations before hurricane season opens.