What To Pack For A Hurricane Evacuation (with printable checklist)

This post is sponsored by the Storm Basics promotion at Publix. The opinions and text are all mine.

Wondering what to pack for a hurricane evacuation? With hurricane season on the way, it’s important to be prepared! If you find that you have to pack up the car to take off for a few days, these are some of the things you’ll want to bring along.

When you live along the southeastern coast, you probably already know about hurricane season. Running from June through November, you never know when a storm will pop up and head your way.

Usually, these hurricane watches turn out to be no big deal. However, having had to evacuate for Hurricane Irma a few years back, we know it’s good to be ready for a natural disaster, just in case.

Storm Basics Promotion At Publix

We were still new to Florida at the time, and if there’s one thing I learned, it’s that we needed to plan better for hurricane season. One of the easiest ways to do this is to stock up on the essential items ahead of time and put together a hurricane evacuation kit.

Luckily, I can stock up and save at the same time with the Storm Basics promotion at Publix. Running now through 7/29, you can visit Publix.com or pick up the 7/16 Extra Savings flyer to see everything that’s on sale. The savings are also featured on the at-shelf signs throughout the store.

Note: If you don’t see the 7/16 Extra Savings flyer by the kiosk at the Publix entrance, you can ask for one at the customer service desk.

Here are just a few of the things you can save on during the promotion…

Energizer Max Batteries

If there’s one thing you can never have too many of, it’s batteries. Extra batteries are just one of the things you can save big on during the Storm Basics promotion.

You’ll be able to take $2 off any one of the following Energizer Max packs: AA/AAA 8-16 pack, 9V 2 pack, or a C/D 4 pack. This will cover your storm radio, flashlights, and, most importantly, the electronic games that will keep your kids occupied during the long car ride.

Drinks

This is also a great time to stock up on drinks. They’re important for any road trip, and you can even get a variety when you take advantage of the Publix deal.

During the promotion, just use the MFR DIGITAL COUPON to take $5 off an AQA Alkaline Water 12 pack when you buy any one Sparkling Ice 12 pack.

You can never have too much water, but we also like all the choices you get with Sparkling Ice. Each bottle of this flavored sparkling water contains its own unique fruit or fruit blend flavors, from citrus to berries. With this deal, you can try them all, and every family member can choose their own favorite!

What To Pack For A Hurricane Evacuation

Of course, if you’re in the midst of an emergency evacuation, you’ll need more than just batteries and drinks. While our trip should have taken 7 hours, the storm had shifted at the last minute, and everyone was evacuating at once so, it became a 20-hour trip. An emergency supply kit would’ve come in handy!

The best plan is to prep at the beginning of the season, so you’ll be ready. Some are a given (extra chargers and snacks!), but others you may not have thought of. Here are some basic supplies you’ll want to think about packing…

• Batteries
• Drinks
• Nonperishable food / snacks
• Pillow
• Blankets
• Cell phone charger
• Flashlight
• First aid kit
• Hand sanitizer
• Prescription medications
• Important documents / birth certificates / etc.
• Toilet paper
• Paper towels
• Games/books
• Pet food and a water bowl
• Empty grocery bags (for trash)
• Enough cash to last a few days

*Check out this Hurricane Food Kit for ideas on foods that will travel well.

Tips & Tricks

• Be sure to know your hurricane evacuation route ahead of time. Having an evacuation plan ahead of time will save time later.
• The same goes for local shelters. If there’s not enough time to make it away from the hurricane, you may need to find emergency shelters in the area. Know where they are in advance, just in case.
• Cover electronics like computers and TVs with a plastic garbage bag. If your roof springs a leak (like ours did), it’ll help prevent water damage.
• Unplug electronics from every electrical outlet. This will protect them in case there’s an electrical surge during the storm.
• If you’re leaving behind important documents, store them in a waterproof container or bag. This includes birth certificates, social security cards, medical records, bank account information, or any other legal documents that you wouldn’t want damaged. You may even want to do this with photo albums too.
• It’s a good idea to bring along a copy of any insurance policies.
• Bring your outdoor furniture and planters inside the house or garage before you leave.
• Put a full tank of gas in the car. During an evacuation, lines at the gas stations will be crazy long, and some stations may run out of gas completely. If you think that an evacuation is a possibility, try to fill it up as far in advance as possible.

Why You Should Place A Penny In The Freezer

Do you know about the penny in the freezer trick? It’s the easiest way to tell if there were power outages while you were gone. That’s important to know because frozen food could have thawed when the power went out, then refrozen again when power was restored. In that case, it may not be safe to eat it.

Here’s how to tell if that happened. Place ice cubes in a shallow container with a penny on top, then place in the freezer. If the penny is still on top of the ice cubes when you return home, power probably didn’t go out. However, if the penny is at the bottom and covered with solid ice, which means the ice melted, and the water refroze over it. If that’s the case, there was an outage, and you may want to consider throwing the food away.

Free Printable Hurricane Evacuation List

You’ll have a lot on your mind if there’s a storm heading your way, especially if you have to leave at a moment’s notice. That’s why I made this printable hurricane evacuation checklist. Just print the list and keep it in a convenient place, just in case you need it.

Once you’ve done that, don’t forget to head to Publix and stock up on everything you need. Better hurry…this promotion ends July 29th!