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Follow a current evacuation order first. If local officials tell you to leave, evacuate promptly by the designated route. If no order applies, decide from the hazards at your exact location—not the forecast track alone—and from whether you have a sturdy, flood-safe place to stay, a safe way to reach it, and enough supplies to cope with isolation and utility loss. FEMA’s direct instruction is: “If told to evacuate, do so immediately.”
This framework complements, but never replaces, current instructions from your local emergency manager, National Weather Service office, or National Hurricane Center. Routes, shelters, flood zones and orders can change while a storm approaches.
1. Check the controlling instruction for your address
Start with your city or county emergency-management website, official alert system, local television or radio, and any alert sent to your phone. Look specifically for an evacuation order, evacuation-zone notice, shelter opening, road closure or reentry restriction. An order applies to the area and population named by officials; do not substitute a social-media map or a neighbor’s advice.
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When an order covers your location, leave as soon as you can do so safely. Take the official route, obey traffic controls and follow later updates if authorities change the destination or route. FEMA’s hurricane guidance says to evacuate immediately when told to do so (FEMA hurricane preparation guidance).
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- NOAA Weather Scan & Alert - This emergency weather alert radio features S.A.M.E localized programming and alert you to over 60 kinds of weather hazards and emergencies. NOAA Weather Scan will automatically alert you of events.
- S.A.M.E Localized Programming - The Specific Area Message Encoding (S.A.M.E.) allows the user to enter a code that is specific to your country, state, county and in some cases partial county.
- Notification Settings - Program your radio to receive weather alerts from up to 25 different counties and be alerted only when those specific counties are threatened. Color-coded alert indicators show the alert type and its severity.
- Additional Features - SAME localized programming, continuous backlighting option which keeps the LCD on, 25 programmable counties, color-coded alert indicators, alert override automatically switches to warn of impending danger.
- Experience a comprehensive range of radios from Midland, designed to keep you connected and informed. Our radios offer an array of features, including reliable real-time weather alerts, and robust two-way communication capabilities.
If you are outside the ordered zone, that does not prove your home is safe. Officials may issue additional orders, and hazards such as inland flooding or falling trees can affect places well away from the storm’s center. Keep monitoring even after deciding to stay.
2. Identify the hazards at your exact location
A hurricane decision is a water-and-wind decision. The center line on a forecast map cannot show every place that will flood or lose power. The National Hurricane Center explains that dangerous effects can extend far from the center and that local statements provide location-specific information (NHC Hurricane Preparedness; NHC Hurricane Local Statement example).
Storm surge and coastal flooding
If you are on or near the coast, in a low-lying neighborhood, behind a levee or in an area designated for surge evacuation, moving to a safer location may be necessary even when the house is built to resist wind. Surge can make roads impassable and can inundate a building that appears structurally sound.
Inland and flash flooding
Rainfall can flood inland communities, river valleys, low crossings and urban drainage systems. Check your local flood maps and emergency-management notices, not just coastal surge maps. A location that rarely floods during ordinary rain can still become inaccessible during a hurricane.
Wind, trees and debris
Assess the building’s construction, roof and openings, nearby trees, exterior objects and whether you live in a mobile or manufactured home. A mobile or manufactured home is not an appropriate high-wind refuge; arrange a sturdy alternative before conditions deteriorate.
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Access and mobility
Consider whether you can leave without assistance, whether you depend on electricity for medical equipment, and whether a caregiver, child or pet needs transportation. A theoretically safe building is not a workable plan if you cannot reach it before roads close.
3. Decide whether your building can protect you from wind
If you stay, use the safest room available in a sturdy building. FEMA recommends a safe room built to applicable criteria, an ICC 500 storm shelter, or a small interior room without windows. For wind protection, the room should be on the lowest floor that is not exposed to flooding (FEMA Hurricane Hazard Information Sheet).
Do not interpret “lowest floor” as an automatic rule. In a flood-prone building, a lower room can become a trap. Before the storm, identify an alternative location above expected floodwater or evacuate to a safer building. Keep away from windows, glass doors and rooms with large unsupported spans; bring your emergency supplies into the chosen room before winds rise.
When the current building is not a reasonable shelter
- You are in an evacuation zone or under an evacuation order.
- The structure is a mobile or manufactured home and no tested, sturdy shelter is available there.
- The building has known structural damage, an unsafe roof or openings that cannot be secured.
- Floodwater is likely to reach the building or cut off the only access road.
- You cannot maintain essential medical care, communications or supervision during a prolonged outage.
Any of these conditions supports moving to an approved shelter, a prearranged host location or another safer building while travel is still possible.
4. Use this stay-or-go comparison when no order applies
There is no single wind speed, storm category or distance from the forecast center that decides for every household. Compare the conditions below. They are decision factors, not a scoring system.
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- S.A.M.E Programming: Improve your emergency preparedness with equipped with digital S.A.M.E. technology, weather radio seamlessly connects to your county's warning system, providing you with instant weather updates from the National Weather Service. Features a convenient USB output, allowing you to charge your devices directly from the radio itself. Program up to 25 counties and choose from 80 different emergency alerts, this advanced weather radio from Midland ensures that you stay informed.
- Warning System: Experience customizable alert options with the WR400 Warning System. You have the flexibility to choose how you want to be alerted, whether it's through an 85 dB siren alarm, a voice alert, or a visual LED flasher. 80 different emergency alerts to keep you informed about various critical situations. Emergency power backup functionality. By using four "AA" batteries (not included), ensure that the radio continues to operate during power outages or when you're using it outdoors.
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| Question | If the answer points to greater danger | Safer response |
|---|---|---|
| Does an official order or evacuation-zone notice cover your address? | Yes, or the notice is unclear and officials are directing residents to leave. | Evacuate promptly using the official route. |
| Could surge, river, rain or flash flooding reach the site or the access roads? | The property or route is flood-prone, low-lying or behind a barrier that may be overtopped. | Move to higher, approved shelter outside the likely flood area. |
| Is the building vulnerable to wind? | Mobile/manufactured construction, major damage, unsecured openings or dangerous nearby trees. | Use a sturdy building or public shelter arranged before travel becomes hazardous. |
| Is the proposed wind-safe room itself exposed to flooding? | The lowest interior room could take on water. | Choose a flood-safe sturdy shelter or evacuate; do not rely on that room. |
| Can you reach the destination safely and early? | Roads are closing, fuel or transport is unavailable, or you need assistance that is not arranged. | Leave earlier with a confirmed route, destination and help; contact local emergency management for accessible options. |
| Can your household function during an outage and isolation? | You lack water, medication, communications, pet arrangements or backup power for essential equipment. | Relocate to a supplied shelter or host location, or obtain the missing essentials before conditions worsen. |
If the safer response is uncertain, contact local emergency management rather than waiting for the storm to make the choice for you.
5. If you evacuate, make the move deliberate and early
- Confirm the order and destination. Use official announcements to learn which zones must leave, which shelters accept your household and whether pets or medical equipment are accommodated. A shelter listed in an old post may be closed or full.
- Choose a route that avoids hazards. Follow designated evacuation routes and check current closures. Do not drive through standing or moving water; water depth and road damage are difficult to judge.
- Arrange transportation and assistance. Reserve accessible transport, coordinate with caregivers and take mobility aids, prescriptions and identification. Tell a trusted contact where you are going.
- Pack for the destination, not just the drive. Include water, ready-to-eat food, medications, chargers and backup batteries, copies of important documents, protective clothing, sanitation items and supplies for infants or pets. Keep the kit where it can be loaded quickly.
- Secure the home only if it does not delay departure. Bring loose outdoor items inside, close and lock windows and doors, and follow utility shutoff advice from officials. Never return for a forgotten item after authorities advise leaving.
- Keep receiving updates. Use official alerts during travel; a route or shelter can change after you depart.
FEMA’s preparation guidance covers evacuation planning, household supplies and the possibility that roads and services will remain disrupted after the storm (FEMA, How to Prepare for a Hurricane).
6. If you stay, create separate wind and flood plans
Wind plan
Before winds increase, move everyone into the selected interior safe room or storm shelter. Close interior doors, keep away from windows and use helmets or other appropriate protection if recommended by local officials. Keep a charged phone, flashlight, batteries, water, medications and a way to receive alerts in the room. Do not open doors to inspect conditions during the storm; a brief lull can be the eye, followed by dangerous winds from the opposite direction.
Flood plan
Know in advance where you will go if water enters the building. Move to the highest level that remains accessible and safe, and signal for help through official channels. Do not enter a closed attic: rising water can trap you there. If the building cannot provide a safe level above the water, evacuate before flooding begins rather than attempting a last-minute move.
Never walk or drive through floodwater. It may conceal washed-out pavement, electrical hazards or contamination, and moving water can sweep a person or vehicle away. Follow local instructions about shutting off utilities; do not touch electrical equipment while standing in water.
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- BATTERY POWERED RADIO - Runs on just 2 AA batteries, this noaa emergency weather radio ensures continuous operation during power outages, as long as you keep some spare AA batteries at home. When you’re out and about, toss some AA batteries in your bag, and save the hassle of searching for a power outlet. It’s your reliable companion for staying informed and safe.
- SIMPLE OPERATION - It’s a storm radio. Only 3 controls - one for power and volume, one for tuning and one for band selection - tuning in to your favorite station is a breeze. No headaches from the confusing digital screen and buttons; just get relaxed with this weather radio battery powered.
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7. Prepare for days without normal services
Staying is not simply waiting out the wind. FEMA notes that power and water may fail and roads may become impassable for days (FEMA Hurricane Hazard Information Sheet). Before conditions worsen, make a household plan that covers:
- Water and food: drinking water, shelf-stable food, a manual can opener and a safe way to prepare food if power is unavailable.
- Medication and health: prescriptions, refrigerated medicines’ backup plan, first-aid supplies, mobility aids and documents listing medical needs.
- Power and communications: charged phones, spare batteries or power banks, flashlights and a battery- or hand-crank-powered NOAA Weather Radio. FEMA identifies NOAA Weather Radio, the Emergency Alert System and local alerts as ways to receive warnings; no device replaces official instructions.
- Sanitation and safety: hygiene supplies, sturdy shoes, protective clothing, fire extinguisher and supplies for safely managing waste if water service stops.
- Pets and service animals: food, water, medication, carriers, leashes and vaccination records. Confirm in advance that a destination accepts animals; many general shelters cannot accommodate every pet.
- Contacts and documentation: an out-of-area contact, paper copies of key phone numbers and identification, and a written meeting place if cellular service fails.
Keep supplies where every household member can reach them, and tell someone outside the affected area whether you are staying or evacuating. Plan for heat, darkness and limited information, not only the storm’s peak winds.
8. Monitor official information throughout the event
Use more than one alert channel. The NHC recommends multiple ways to receive forecasts and warnings and organizes preparedness around knowing water and wind risk, understanding forecast information, moving when a storm threatens, staying protected and using caution afterward (National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Preparedness). Subscribe to your local emergency-alert service, keep a battery-powered receiver available and check your National Weather Service office or local emergency-management updates when communications allow.
A forecast cone is not an evacuation map. Read the local statement for your county or parish, including expected flooding, road impacts, shelter locations and reentry rules. The NHC’s local-statement example demonstrates the kind of location-specific information officials may issue; it is an example, not a current order for any reader (NHC Hurricane Local Statement Example).
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People who need electricity or medical support
Contact your utility and local emergency manager before hurricane conditions arrive if someone depends on powered medical equipment, dialysis, oxygen or refrigerated medication. Ask about accessible transportation and special-needs shelters. A backup battery helps only if it is approved for the equipment and can last through the expected outage; confirm the plan with the clinician or equipment provider.
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- EMERGENCY RADIO & SOS ALARM - When hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, flooding, or other emergencies may occur, an NOAA alert radio can provide life-saving information. A built-in super-bright 3W flashlight and 2.5W reading lamp are critical if the power outage. It also includes a USB connector used to charge your USB-enabled smart devices for communication. Simply press the SOS button that activated a loud alert partnered with an eye-catching flashing red light for emergency assistance.
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Residents of mobile or manufactured homes
Arrange a sturdy shelter outside the home well before high winds. Do not wait for visible damage or a last-minute warning to leave. Take documents, medications and pets, and follow the local evacuation route.
Renters, high-rise residents and dorm occupants
Learn the building’s emergency plan, backup-power limits, stairwell rules and flood exposure. Elevators may be unavailable, and a high floor is not automatically safer if wind damages windows or the building loses power. Follow management and public-safety instructions, but use local evacuation orders as the controlling direction.
Visitors and people unfamiliar with the area
Ask the host, hotel or local emergency office which zone the address occupies and where the nearest approved shelter lies. Download or write down directions before service becomes unreliable; do not assume a familiar route remains open.
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Reassess whenever officials issue a new order, a flood warning affects your area, roads close, water enters the building, the structure is damaged or essential medical and communication needs can no longer be met. If you are still able to travel safely, move to the prearranged safer location. If flooding or debris makes travel dangerous, stay out of the water and call emergency services through the available official channel; do not improvise a crossing.
After the storm, wait for an official all-clear before leaving a shelter or returning home. Avoid downed lines, damaged buildings, floodwater and roads marked closed. Reentry instructions are local and may differ from the evacuation order that sent you out.
A practical decision in one minute
- Read the latest local order for your exact address.
- If ordered, evacuate immediately by the official route.
- If not ordered, identify surge, inland-flood, wind and access hazards.
- Reject any shelter that is vulnerable to the hazard you are trying to escape—especially a low room exposed to flooding.
- Compare your ability to leave safely with your ability to remain supplied, connected and medically safe through prolonged outages.
- Choose the safer available location, tell a trusted contact, and continue monitoring official alerts.
The safest choice is location-specific and time-sensitive. Local emergency management and current National Weather Service or National Hurricane Center information have the facts needed to turn this framework into an immediate action for your household.
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