If officials tell you to leave, leave. Storm surge and inland flooding are the leading killers in hurricanes, and a late departure can put you on a road that is already closed or already underwater. The bag you packed in calm weather is what makes an early or ordered departure possible.
Look up your zone and typical routes now, on hurricane.sc and SCEMD’s Know Your Zone map, and write them into the family plan. Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester Counties use different zone letters for the same kind of storm-surge risk; look up the address, and do not reuse a letter from a neighboring county. Details and county contacts are on the local resources page. If the emergency is a house fire, do not stop for the bag. Get everyone out, stay out, and call 911.
Build the bags before you need them
Aim for one backpack or duffel per adult who can carry one, packed and kept near an exit, in a place that stays dry. Children can have a small bag with clothes, a comfort item, and snacks. Pets need their own kit — see Pets.
A go-bag is a 3-day kit you can lift. It is not the whole 14-day pantry. Use the printable bug-out bag checklist to tick items and add up pack weight.
For each person, as far as space and weight allow:
- Water (sealed bottles) and ready-to-eat food for about 3 days, plus a small water filter or treatment tablets as a backup
- Medicines, a copy of prescriptions, spare glasses, and device batteries
- A headlamp or flashlight, spare batteries, and a charged power bank with the right cable (see capacity and runtime examples; a 20,000 mAh / 74 Wh bank is a common per-person starting point for phones, not a whole-house supply)
- A change of clothes, spare socks, underwear, a warm layer, rain gear, and sturdy shoes (do not evacuate in flip-flops)
- Hygiene items, wipes, and any menstrual, infant, or incontinence supplies
- A lightweight blanket or emergency blanket
- Personal documents in a waterproof pouch (or one household pouch carried by a designated person)
- A little cash, house and car keys, and a paper list of contacts
- A whistle, work gloves, and a dust mask or respirator
- For children: a familiar toy, snacks they will eat, and any needed formula, bottles, or diapers
One household bag can also carry a first-aid kit, a multi-tool, a NOAA or AM/FM radio, a paper map, and a paper copy of the family plan. Leave a little room so last-minute items (laptops, current medicines from the fridge, a child’s backpack) can go in without unpacking.
Do not raid the go-bag for camping trips or overnight visits and then forget to rebuild it.
If you have 5, 10, or 30 minutes
Decide this now, and post a short version on the fridge.
About 5 minutes
- People and pets (if it is safe to gather them)
- The packed bags, phones, and already-charged power banks
- Keys, wallets, shoes, and weather-appropriate coats
- The medicines no one can go without
About 10 minutes (add)
- The document pouch
- The rest of the medicines, prescriptions, and glasses
- Extra water and food
- Infant and pet supplies, leashes, and carriers
- Hearing aids, chargers, and medical devices
About 30 minutes (add, if officials have not told you to go now)
- A change of clothes for each person
- Toiletries and towels
- Laptops or external drives you already planned to take
- In a flood threat: move what you can to higher floors — photos, electronics, chemicals, and valuables — if it is still safe
- Knock on a neighbor’s door if they may need a ride or a warning
- If it is safe and you have been told or trained to do so, shut off utilities. Do not stand in water and touch electrical switches.
Before you drive: close windows, lock the house, and follow the official route. Never drive or walk through floodwater. Ready.gov warns that just six inches of moving water can knock a person down, and one foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away. Turn Around. Don’t Drown.
Tell your out-of-area contact where you are going. Do not return until officials say it is safe.
Where you will stay
Book or list options early in the season: friends or family inland, a hotel well away from the surge zone (confirm the pet policy), or a public shelter if that is your plan. Many public shelters do not take pets except service animals. Search for open shelters by texting SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362, and confirm with local officials, who announce shelter openings storm by storm.
Take your kit to a shelter. Mass-care sites provide basic food, water, and a roof; they will not have your medicines, chargers, or child’s comfort items.
Leave earlier than you think you need to if you or someone in the household will move slowly, uses medical equipment, or will be traveling with animals.
A kit for the car
Keep a smaller kit in the vehicle year-round, in case you are stranded or already on the road when conditions worsen:
- Water and snacks that can tolerate heat (cars in the Lowcountry get very hot — avoid medicines and chocolates that will melt or spoil)
- A flashlight, a phone charger or power bank (capacity as on the power page), and a paper map
- A first-aid kit, a blanket, rain gear, and sturdy shoes
- Jumper cables or a jump pack, a basic tool kit, a spare tire in working order, and a high-visibility vest or triangle
- A window-breaker / seat-belt cutter if you choose to carry one, kept where the driver can reach it
- Ice scraper and a small shovel in winter
Keep the fuel tank at least half full during hurricane season when a storm is possible. After an evacuation is ordered, fuel on the coastal side of the routes will go quickly.