StormStock · Hurricane guides
What to do during a hurricane
Once the wind arrives, the decisions are small and few. The goal is to put walls between you and anything moving, and to not go outside for any reason you can postpone.
Where to be
Interior room, lowest floor that will not flood, away from windows. A hallway, bathroom or closet with no exterior wall is the best space most homes have.
- Stay away from windows and glass doors even when boarded. Boards stop debris, not pressure.
- If you are in a flood-prone area, height beats interior — but never enter an attic without a way out.
- Keep shoes on. Most injuries after a storm are from stepping on what the storm left.
- Keep a charged phone, a flashlight and a radio within reach in one place.
A tornado warning inside a hurricane
Hurricanes spawn tornadoes, usually in the outer bands and often with almost no warning. A tornado warning overrides everything else you are doing.
- Go to the lowest floor, most interior room, and put as many walls between you and the outside as possible.
- Cover yourself. A mattress or heavy blanket protects against debris, which is what actually injures people.
- Do not go to a window to look.
The eye is not the end
If the wind stops suddenly and the sky clears, you may be in the eye. The other side of the eyewall is coming, and it arrives from the opposite direction — often stronger, over ground already saturated and full of loose debris.
- Do not go outside to inspect damage.
- Wait for an official all-clear, not for quiet.
Water
Flooding kills more people in hurricanes than wind does, and most of those deaths happen in vehicles.
- Never drive through standing water. Six inches can stall a car; twelve can float one. You cannot see whether the road under it still exists.
- Never walk through moving water.
- Treat every downed line as live, and assume water touching one is energised.
Common questions
Should I open windows to equalise pressure?
No. That is an old myth. Open windows let wind and rain in and give the wind a way to lift the roof from inside. Keep everything closed.
Is it safe to go out during the eye?
No. The calm is temporary and the far eyewall arrives with wind from the opposite direction, over ground already loosened. People are injured every season doing exactly this.
How deep does water have to be to be dangerous to a car?
Six inches of moving water can stall most vehicles and knock an adult off their feet. Twelve inches can float a car. And you cannot tell from the surface whether the roadway underneath was washed out.
What if I lose power and my phone is my only light?
Ration it. Put the phone on low power mode, dim the screen, and use a flashlight or lantern for moving around. Your phone is worth more as a way to call for help than as a torch.
This guide follows official guidance from the National Hurricane Center, FEMA and Florida emergency management. It does not replace instructions from your local officials. In an emergency, call 911.