Family Hurricane/Evacuation Plan and Disaster Supply Kit

Family Hurricane Evacuation Plan and Shelter in Place Disaster Supply Kit
Developing a family hurricane/evacuation plan is one of the most important preparation steps toward a safe and timely evacuation. Planning ahead – long before a storm approaches – is crucial to identifying items needed during an evacuation. This plan should be written and kept in an easily-accessible place.

An evacuation plan should include the following:

  • The place(s) where you plan to evacuate
  • Telephone and email contact information of family members
  • A plan for securing your household
  • A plan for securing cash for travel
  • A list of items to take during the evacuation (checklist of items)
    Be sure to include medicines and clothing for at least one week
    Be sure to include food and water for the trip
  • A plan for evacuating each person in the household
  • Items needed in each automobile you will use to evacuate:
    First Aid Kit
    Louisiana Evacuation Guide
    Louisiana Highway Map
    A full tank of fuel

Hurricane Evacuation Box and Disaster Supply Kit
Many people keep their hurricane/evacuation plan in a plastic box along with some of the items the family will take during an evacuation. The box should be easily-accessible and ready for a quick exit.

Items to include in your hurricane box:

  • Copies of the family hurricane/evacuation plan
  • Louisiana Highway Map
  • NOAA weather radio (battery operated)
  • Flashlight
  • Spare batteries
  • Hand sanitizer and/or wipes
  • Important family documents
    Bank account and contact numbers
    Insurance policies, contracts, stocks, wills, deeds, titles
    Passports and social security cards
    Immunization and medical records
    Credit card information
    Address book
    Family records (birth and marriage certificates)
    An inventory of valuable household items
    Other documents you may need during an extended evacuation
  • Games or books for the children
  • Family Memory Items
    CD copies of digital photographs
    Copies of family photographs
    Small historic family items/documents

Shelter in Place
This August, Tropical Storm Claudette served as a tangible reminder that tropic systems can develop with little warning. If a tropical storm/hurricane develops as late as 12 hours before expected landfall in your area, evacuation becomes impossible. Each person in a hurricane-prone area should be working diligently to prepare a personal hurricane plan. But remember, an evacuation plan is not enough. You must also have a plan to stay put and ride out a storm if an evacuation becomes impossible.

Disaster Supply Kit
The Disaster Supply Kit is needed in a "Shelter in Place" situation and includes food, water and other essential items. Be prepared for the loss of power and services during a tropical event (even a small one) if an evacuation is not called. Many of the items in your disaster supply kit are also useful for an evacuation.

Items to keep in stock during hurricane season:

  • Water (1 gallon daily per person, 5 day supply)
  • Food (5 day supply)
  • Non-perishable canned food
  • Non-electric can opener
  • Juice
  • Snack food
  • Flashlights with extra batteries
  • NOAA weather radio**
  • First aid kit
  • Toiletries
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Wipes
  • Rain Gear
  • Louisiana Highway Map

See additional Disaster Survival Kit suggestions in the Louisiana Evacuation Guide and in the National Weather Center Hurricane Preparation Flyer

*The Louisiana Citizen Awareness & Disaster Evacuation Guide Southeast 2009 Edition gives important details about evacuating from New Orleans. Louisiana utilizes a phased evacuation. Be sure to read about Phase III and the contraflow plan. If an evacuation is called for Jefferson and Orleans parishes, the contraflow plan will be implemented 30 hours before the onset of tropical-forces winds.

**Many NOAA weather radios come equipped with a flashlight and may be recharged with a hand crank. Weather radios may be purchased at most neighborhood pharmacies and department stores.