I've spent 15 years in FEMA US&R.  I'm experienced packing to go to hurricanes.  Now I need to come up with a comprehensive list for my fiancé, three dogs, and me in case we need to bail out.  Anyone have an ARFCOM hurricane bug out checklist we can use?

Have you ever seen the pictures of the traffic jams on the interstate highways during an evacuation?

Plan to shelter in place.

With that said, you should have a bug home bag in each vehicle.  That would be the first part of building a bug out bag.

Your bug out bag depends on if you are bugging out to a pre-determined hideaway that is fully stocked or if you plan on just living in you car for a week.  Since there will be no hotel rooms along your evacuation route and possibly no fuel, you should be ready to live out of your vehicle for a week.

Your hurrican prep is your evacuation bag.  You just take all the stuff you need to shelter in place and put it in containers that will fit into your bug out vehicle.

Now if your still serious, there are numerous lists to be found with google.  Again, building a bug home bag is a great way to start.

In addition to all the normal stuff, don't forget prescription meds and prescription eyeglasses.  That and comfortable shoes will make life easier, whatever you decide to do.  And, don't go anywhere in Florida without bug spray, triple antibiotic and hydrocortisone cream.

Finally - Cash.  If electrical power is down most places can't process plastic.  Assuming the worst possible scenario, you need enough cash for rent. First, last, and security.  If the storm was bad enough you bugged out there is probably not much to go home to; especially if the hurricane spun off a lot of tornadoes. 4-5k is the minimum cash I would bug out with.  And make the decision to get a place fast.  Any vacant, furnished apartments will go fast.  The longer you wait the farther you are going to have to go, outside the disaster area to find anything.

Best thing you can do is plan for 1 month of supplies, gas, & cash.
If it ever got that bad(I don't see it happening) use said gas to drive elsewhere.

I've been through 3 cat1's & a minor cat2 & people get all nuts like the world is ending.  Stay smart keep your cool & you'll be fine.

Cash.

We all have generators.

Not me.
But I know who does.

You don't need a bug out bag, you need a stay in bag.
We attempted to evacuate once.
Headed toward my brothers place. He was about about a 30 minute drive away.
4 hours later we finally made it.
Never again will we leave.

We have generator, freeze dried food, propane stove to boil water and a filter.
Candles, batteries, lighters, firearms and ammo.

I do keep plenty of water....









....in my pool.

Thanks gents.  Now that I think about it, I've seen evacuations when we were on our way to staging.  We also got caught in the return traffic on our way to Charley.  I think without FHP escort clearing the way it would have taken a full day from roughly Tampa to Punta Gorda.

I'll start getting supplies to shelter in place.  

For what it's worth FL hasn't really been hit hard in a long time.  Supposedly FPL & utilities infrastructure has vastly improved. Gas stations are now required to have generators to pump gas.  Major stores like Publix invested in generators in many areas.
However all yet to be tested.....

Take a read through the outdoors forum.  Many good threads on bobs, bug out bags, preps, etc.

Good point. Yes, here in SWFL, much of the power lines now sit on cement and metal poles. I live about 3 miles from the regions main power plant, so I cannot imagine ever being out of power long. Also, I have had my power interrupted twice this summer (coming home to have to reset the clocks). I cannot remember the last time we had a real power outage. It would have to be a potential cat. 4 or 5 for me to even think about running. Lots of people move, only to have the storm chase them.

plan depends if you are in a evac zone, or a trailer.  

bama has a good list but it does not all apply to hurricanes.

great thread though.
bama shtf guide

Mountain House foods.  When I started prepping I did MREs and canned goods.  MREs eventually go bad and you have to rotate your canned foods.

I started buying freeze dried.  I bought 7 days worth (21 meals) every year.  At that time you got free shipping with a 99 dollar purchase and 21 meals was a little over 100 bucks.  Mountain House has an almost indefinite self life.  I buy the ones that feed 2 people.

When I started it seemed like it was going to be a long time before I had an adequate supply.  After 4 years I had a months worth of food for 2.  

I now have a 12 week supply.  I buy more every year and rotate my stock.  I use the oldest meals during the year for various activities.  I would continue to store more food but I have run out of space.  Between food and ammo, my storage space is full.  I was an EMT in a previous life and I was our group's designated medic for Y2K so I have some storage space dedicated to medical supplies.  I am out of room, so now everything gets rotated.  I also now have a pretty good idea of what the real shelf life is on most prepping supplies.

Of course you need water to re-hydrate the food and it works better if it is boiling water, so I have several water filters and several heat sources.  Gravity, hand pump filters and alcohol, propane stoves etc.  I store 18 gallons and will have to start filtering when that is gone.

I wish I was young enough to care about survival now, being here for the kids and grandkids keeps me going for now.

So, good luck with your hurricane prep, may you never need it!

Certainly true depending on AO. All of the newer areas with the midwest and northeast transplants will fare well during all but a severe Cat5. I'd wager that in the newer neighborhoods of Wesley Chapel, Parrish, all of the SE north of Boca Raton, Naples, etc  you wouldn't even be able to tell there was a storm minus the boarded windows as long as you are out of a flood zone. Most of the power lines are buried in these new neighborhoods too.

The older areas of Tampa, Miami, Bradenton, Jax, still have lots of neighborhoods with old wooden houses, power lines wrapped around 50 year old trees, poor sewage and storm water treatment, etc.

If I lived in a new house off the coast not in a flood zone I wouldn't sweat hurricanes at all. Surely wouldn't evac.

I agree with Title II.  I have lived my whole life in Florida and been through countless storms.  My advice:

1. Plan to stay put, even if mandatory evacuation.  Assuming you live in a decent house and not a trailer park.  Your house is now your bug out bag.  You have plenty of room for storage.
2. Have available what you need to live on for a minimum of a week (big storm plan for longer).  Water, non-perishable food, prescriptions, batteries, flashlights (test them as they are a very convenient way to store dead batteries.).  Find online lists for other essentials like first aid kit, etc.  I stock up early for food and water as the basics will be used even if the storm doesn't hit you.  I've seen stores cleared out of bottled water and other items 3-5 days before the storm hits. You think you are getting a head start, but to a native, this isn't our first rodeo. Think soups, canned foods, Peanut butter, bread, etc.  Also - have pets?  They are part of the family and should be treated as such.  Keep their supplies as well. Oh, don't forget paper plates and disposable utensils.  Imagine having a picnic for 7 days straight.
3. Accept the fact that you will be buying a min 5Kw generator.  Look for sales around holidays and just suck it up and buy the biggest you can afford.  Here is where you splurge and don't appreciate it until you need it.  Learn to maintain it, and have plenty of extension cords.  Drunk while playing on the internet?  Buy a carbon monoxide detector on Amazon and mainly use it when running the generator.  Not a requirement, but for $10 not to die, I think they are worth it.
4. Buy lots of gas cans for said generator, and fill up your car well in advance.  Long lines suck at the last minute - be prepared.  I have 4 - 5gal containers and a spare car that gets filled to the brim at the beginning of every season.  I fill them with ethanol free gas and use a fuel stabilizer.  At the end of the season, pour that gas in your car and get new gas every year if you don't need it.
5. Pull out cash from the bank when news of a storm is coming.  Don't know your finances, but $1K is a safe amount and get it in small bills and lock it in your gun safe.  Stores do get power back quickly (or they are on generators) so usually a few days after a storm you can venture out if you must, but only carry the cash you need.  I put the cash right back in the bank after the storm. Now, I am not joking here - find your local Chinese take out places.  Pick your favorite, even if you hate Chinese takeout.  They will be the only place to eat out at immediately after a storm.  I am not stereotyping, just being factual, if you want a hot meal or didn't prepare, they will be open. I have no idea why or even how, but you can depend on it.
6. Get all your important papers together (which they should already be - but mainly find your insurance policy - review it and make sure you have the phone # to file a claim).  Obvious, but make sure your payments are up to date, too.
7. In Florida, chances are you will have a propane grill.  Buy an extra cylinder or three and get them all filled. There is a good chance that will be your main method of cooking a hot meal.  I have grilled a frozen pizza, among other things,  when Charley came through.
8.  Sounds weird, but keep a dedicated 5-gallon bucket.  Fill up all your bath tubs with water prior to the storm.  Use that bucket for transferring water to manually flush a toilet and/or to use for washing hands or utensils, etc.  Only twice in my life have I lost water in a storm, but I still wouldn't trust any tap water during or immediately after a storm. If you do loose water, learn to pee in the privacy of your back yard.  Wife may think its gross, but trust me on this one.
9. Make sure you have plenty of car chargers for all your electronic devices.  With no power, your car can be used as a charging device.  I have a cheap 120V converter that plugs in to the cigarette lighter.   Great for charging laptops or other electronics that only have wall outlet adaptors.
10.  Slowly learn to stock up on tarps and other hardware.  Harbor Freight puts out 20% off coupons.  Find a local store and slowly buy them on the cheap along with Duct Tape.  They are great for temporary roof repairs or a damaged window, etc.  You never have enough, so buy plenty.  Have a healthy supply of screws and/or nails, etc.  As always have the normal tools to make small repairs if necessary.

Since this is ARFCOM, I shouldn't have to tell you to have your firearms ready, loaded AND accessible.  Carry at all times, as looting is always a option for those that are desperate.  If all of your firearms are locked in your safe, they can't save you. Crank down that A/C, since you will be without it possibly for several days.

Welcome to Florida!!!!

There's a large tacked thread in the survival gear forum in the outdoors section.
But but out bag for a came Will be different.
You'll be looking to bug out 2-4 days prior and same for return after the storm. Due to traffic congestion and road conditions.
Also.
Most cases it's easier to shelter in spot.

Have your basics.
Power is a luxury. Not needed. Do I have a small generator . Yup.
There to keep the deep freeze going,run a fan and few auxiliary items(chargers etc).
Gas to run said power maker.10-15 gallons.
Dog food for the dogs.
Think camping food for food.
Stash and forget is freeze dried. Easy to rotate is can goods. Easy to use. Everything in your fridge.
Yup. Day ones menu we run through everything in the fridge or freezer that we can't save. May as well.
Plus..steak,fresh salad etc and a cold drink can be a moral booster after 15 hours of nerve racking waiting for weather to break or the Sun to come up.
Sides that.
Have a radio...gassed up cars ,truck, cash on hand,more cash. Etc.

Last came infrastructure stayed in place ...mostly.
I moved out to my place five years back. I estimated because of our rural location,and how many Brown outs we'd been with out power for minimum of two weeks.
In town lost it for 24 hours. We went three days.
What got us was our lift station.
It took 4+ more days to get sewer. So it was outside showers and camp toilet time.

Our joke since 04' canes fucked us is.

We are camping with carpet.

If you already camp. Your 90% of the way there.

We recently bought a second home in SWF a mile east of I-75 off of Immokalee Road.  The house was built in 1999 and according to the HOA documents, minimum lot elevation is 18 feet above sea level.  

I've asked the locals and they shrug hurricanes off while the new residents tend to buy shutters, etc.  The one realtor I dealt with said we lose trees and that's about it.

I'm inclined to not ride out a storm, but if we got caught in one, a friend has a larger home with a whole house generator 5 minutes away.

Just one reason I feel comfortable sheltering in place; about 7 years ago I got hurricane impact resistant windows.  My house is concrete block and was built in 1970.  It needed new energy efficient windows so I spent the extra money to get impact resistant windows.  Some of my friends call it, my little bunker.  It does have a solid feel to it.

If anyone in an older house needs new windows anyway, I would encourage you to do the impact resistant thing.  Triple pane.  Vinyl sandwiched between two of the panes like a car windshield.  Also somewhat burglar proof, and the decrease in outside noise is amazing.  I'm saving about 50 bucks a month in electric bills.  The extra 3000 bucks has paid for itself.

better question would be where are you going to go?

After so many hurricanes, hear is my list in no real order:

1.  A gas grill to cook on.

2.  USB battery packs for charging electronics.  USB powered fans that work with the battery packs.  A solar charger that will charge the USB battery packs.

3.  Have your cable/internet modem hooked up to one power strip so it is easy to power it all off a generator with only one plug to detach from the wall.

4.  A generator with stored non-ethanol gas.  I failed this part during Mathew, but fortunately got back power before the generator died completely.  It did choke after I loaned it to friend though.

 Temporary hijack - who did you go through to have the windows done?

I apologize for going off topic a bit, but I remember a friend of mine saying he got some sort of credit or rebate from a government entity in SWF for installing a metal roof on his house - I think it was an energy thing.  I find nothing out there on it.  I'll have to ask him about it I guess.

Cash, in small bills... That $5k in hundreds cam be a pain when you want something that costs $2 or $20. Evertyone else has things covered.

I called a few companies that I found with a google search.  It was two guys that ran a window and door replacement company.

I made sure they were going to pull permits and picked the one that seemed most reputable.

I can't remember the name, but if you are local to me and interested I will dig out the paperwork.  Give me a rough idea of where you are.

If you are not local to me, I might suggest Lowe's.  I have never used Lowe's for contract work, but I have two friends that are happy with the way they make sure everything gets done as promised.

Several cases of beer and rum. Enough gas for the generator for 5 days. Both cars full of fuel so I can get to somewhere well outside of the damage zone to resupply if necessary.

Generator and a window A/C unit. 

Shut your power and water off for a week, you need everything to survive and shelter in place for this X's 2 or 3.  Back up all you records and important stuff on hard drives or flash drives in case of home damage or loss.

Read this to learn everything you'll ever need to know.

Everything seems to be pretty well covered.  Just one add-on, fill your bathtub up now and see if they stay filled or have a slow leak.
Last year with Matthew, I filled my tubs and they started to slowly drain.  My stopper and drain were corroded and didn't have a good seal.
Since then I have replaced the drain and plugs with new ones.

Food, water, first aid/meds, and get a few folding solar panels and a few battery banks and that should keep you entertained by keeping your phone charged.  Usb stroller fans and a usb battery bank help keep you cool on a hot night. And have shutters. That's about it

If you live in a neighborhood you will need a small window shaker A/C and genny to run it if you want to sleep. With the racket coming from all your neighbors running their cheap ass job site jenny's waking the dead open windows will not cut it.

i was on miami beach for hurricane andrew.

In tallahassee now.

I was having a good laugh when everyone panicked for hermine.

Told all my friends to pepper their angus.

None of them listened.

They all ended up staying at my place and paying me for the supplies they used up.

Go update your colt resto thread!