How to Prepare for a Storm When It’s 36 Hours Away

Author:

Florida Peninsula Insurance Company

Date:

6/16/2026

What Matters in the Final 36 Hours

At this stage, preparation becomes prioritization. You’re no longer trying to check every box; you’re deciding what will have the greatest impact on your safety and your home. When you’re deciding what to do in the final 36 hours before a hurricane, the goal isn’t to do more; it’s to do what matters most.

This means focusing on what can cause damage, what can disrupt your routine, and what becomes harder, or impossible, to fix once conditions worsen.

In the final 36 hours, the most important actions tend to fall into a few key areas:

Reducing what wind can move or damage
Limiting where water can enter or collect
Preparing for power loss and communication gaps
Making clear decisions about where you’ll be during the storm

The sections below focus on those priorities so you can spend your time where it matters most.

Reset Your Expectations Before the Storm Arrives

By the time a storm is less than two days away, this is no longer the moment for major projects.

If shutters aren’t installed, if supplies aren’t stocked, if plans aren’t made – you’re not alone. But rushing large tasks now can introduce new risks, including injury or incomplete work unlikely to hold up in severe conditions.

Instead, shift your mindset:

From “what haven’t I done?” → to “what will make the biggest difference now?”
From “more tasks” → to “smarter actions”

This is where preparation becomes strategy.

Protect What Wind Can Take First

Wind doesn’t just damage homes – it turns everyday items into projectiles.

Your focus now should be simple: remove or secure anything likely to move.

Walk your property with fresh eyes and look for anything lightweight, loose, or exposed, such as:

Patio furniture
Potted plants
Trash bins
Garden tools
Decorations or sports equipment

Bring what you can inside. Secure what you can’t.

If your windows and doors aren’t already protected, install shutters or panels only if it’s still safe to do so. Take your time. Rushing through installation increases the risk of injury, and medical care may be harder to access as the storm approaches.

A quick note worth remembering: taping windows does not prevent breakage and can actually make shattered glass more dangerous.

Don’t Overlook Water Risks in the Final 36 Hours

A common mistake in last-minute prep is focusing only on wind damage.

Water – whether from rain, storm surge, or a plumbing disruption – often creates the more complicated problems.

In these final hours:

Clear gutters and drains so water can move away from your home.
Bring valuables off the floor and away from windows and doors.
If you have a pool, don’t empty it; lower it slightly to accommodate rainfall. Keeping water in the pool helps stabilize it as the ground becomes saturated.

Inside your home, small steps matter more than they seem:

Fill bathtubs or containers with water for washing and flushing.
Turn refrigerators and freezers to the coldest settings.
Make ice or freeze water in larger containers to help preserve food.

These aren’t dramatic steps – but they’re often missed and matter most.

Prepare for Power Loss Before It Happens

Power outages are one of the most likely disruptions, and one of the easiest to underestimate.

Think beyond flashlights.

In the final 36 hours:

Fully charge phones, backup batteries, and essential devices.
Gather lighting (flashlights, lanterns) and place them where you can find them in the dark.
Unplug nonessential electronics to protect them from power surges when electricity is restored.

A small but useful trick: use airplane mode while charging to speed things up. Just remember to turn it off so you continue receiving alerts.

Where to Park Your Car Before a Hurricane Hits

Where you park your car matters more than people think. The safest option is usually a garage – but not always.

If flooding is possible:

Avoid parking electric or hybrid vehicles in enclosed spaces.
Saltwater exposure can damage lithium-ion batteries and create a fire risk – even days later.

Instead:

Move vehicles to higher ground if possible.
Avoid parking near trees, power lines, or low-lying areas.
Fill your gas tank now. Fuel may not be available later.

This is one of those decisions easy to overlook and hard to fix once conditions worsen.

Set Yourself Up for a Safer Night

If the storm is expected overnight or early morning, your timeline gets tighter.

Before dark:

Finish any outdoor tasks.
Make sure your home is secured.
Photograph your home, inside and out, for documentation.

Inside:

Choose a safe room (an interior space without windows on the lowest floor).
Stock the space with water, snacks, medications, and a flashlight.

These steps are less about preparation and more about reducing stress when conditions change.

In many hurricane survival stories, these final decisions – where you are and what you have within reach – are what people remember most clearly afterward.

A Quick Word About Your Insurance Coverage

At this stage, your homeowners insurance isn’t something you can change – but there are steps you can take now to make things easier if you need to file a claim later.

A few small actions now can make a meaningful difference later:

Document your home’s condition with photos or video.
Keep important documents in a waterproof container or stored digitally.
Understand homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage; separate flood coverage is required.

If your home becomes uninhabitable due to a covered loss, your policy may help with additional living expenses under specific conditions.

You don’t need to know every detail right now. Just know this: Clear documentation and safe decisions today can make recovery much smoother tomorrow.

Stay Connected, Even If You Lose Service

Communication plans tend to be an afterthought. Until they matter.

Before the storm:

Download emergency apps and sign up for local alerts.
Follow your county’s emergency management updates.
Record a voicemail greeting letting loved ones know where you are.

If cell service is disrupted, this message may be the only update people receive.

For a more detailed, start-to-finish approach to hurricane preparedness, you can explore our Hurricane Preparedness Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hurricane Preparation

What should I do 36 hours before a hurricane hits?

Focus on securing your home, preparing for power outages, protecting valuables, and making final safety decisions rather than starting major projects.

Is it too late to prepare for a hurricane 36 hours before landfall?

It’s too late for large-scale preparation, but final safety steps – like securing outdoor items and preparing for outages – can still make a meaningful difference.

Should I leave or stay during a hurricane warning?

Follow local evacuation orders. If you stay, make sure your home is secured and you have a safe interior space prepared.

Does homeowners insurance cover hurricane damage?

Homeowners insurance typically covers wind damage from hurricanes but does not cover flooding, which requires a separate flood insurance policy.

What Matters Most Now

The final 36 hours before a hurricane can feel chaotic, especially when you’re making last-minute decisions – but it doesn’t have to.

You don’t need to do everything. You need to:

Reduce what can cause damage.
Prepare for likely disruptions.
Make decisions to protect your safety first.

It’s what matters most now.

For more guidance on protecting your home this hurricane season, reach out to your agent or explore coverage options designed for Florida homeowners

‍