Hurricane Preparedness & Supply Calculator

Hurricane preparedness checklist, supply quantities and kit essentials in one place. Use the hurricane supply calculator below to work out how much water you need for a hurricane, plan food and cash for your household, and build an emergency kit checklist Caribbean households can rely on — all before the Caribbean hurricane season arrives.

This calculator provides general supply quantity guidance based on FEMA and Ready.gov recommendations. It is not evacuation or safety advice. Always follow official guidance from your local meteorological service and disaster management authority (e.g., your national Met Office and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency — CDEMA, at cdema.org) during an actual storm.

Plan your household supplies

Water uses the FEMA / Ready.gov ratio of 1 gallon (3.785 liters) per person, per day.

Supply ratios follow FEMA and Ready.gov guidance: 1 gallon (3.785 liters) of water per person, per day, and a general guideline of 1 quart (0.95 liters) per small pet, per day. Food is planned by quantity rather than an exact weight or calorie figure. Last updated 13 September 2026.

Preparedness

Hurricane preparedness checklist

A standard emergency kit checklist Caribbean households can build up before the season.

Emergency kit checklist Caribbean

Based on the FEMA and Ready.gov emergency supply list, a basic kit includes:

  • Flashlight
  • Battery-powered or hand-crank radio — ideally a NOAA weather radio
  • Extra batteries
  • First aid kit
  • A 7-day supply of any prescription medications
  • Multi-purpose tool
  • Sanitation and hygiene items
  • Copies of important documents (ID, insurance and bank records) in a waterproof container
  • Manual can opener
  • Cash

Source: FEMA / Ready.gov — Build A Kit ↗.

How the hurricane supply calculator works

Enter your household size, any pets, and how many days you want to plan for. The calculator applies the FEMA and Ready.gov water ratio — 1 gallon (3.785 liters) per person, per day — and the general small-pet guideline of 1 quart (0.95 liters) per pet, per day, then reports the totals in gallons and liters. Food is planned by quantity, and the cash note is a single flat household recommendation rather than an amount that scales with household size.

How much water do I need per person for a hurricane?

FEMA and Ready.gov recommend storing 1 gallon (3.785 liters) of water per person, per day. Multiply that by the number of people in your household and the number of days you are planning for — the calculator above does the arithmetic for you. As an example, four people for seven days is 28 gallons.

How long should hurricane supplies last?

FEMA's minimum planning basis is a 3-day supply. Seven days is commonly recommended for hurricane-prone areas, and 14 days is worth planning for if utilities could be down for longer. You can choose any of these in the calculator above.

What should be in a hurricane emergency kit?

A standard kit based on the FEMA and Ready.gov list includes a flashlight, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio (ideally a NOAA weather radio), extra batteries, a first aid kit, a 7-day supply of any prescription medications, a multi-purpose tool, sanitation and hygiene items, copies of important documents (ID, insurance and bank records) in a waterproof container, a manual can opener, and cash.

How much water should I store for pets?

The general guideline is 1 quart (0.95 liters) of water per small pet, per day. Larger pets need proportionally more, so check with a vet for the amount that is right for your animals.

Does this calculator tell me when to evacuate?

No. This is a supply quantity planning tool only. It does not provide evacuation, sheltering or storm safety advice. During an actual storm, always follow official guidance from your local meteorological service and disaster management authority, such as the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) at cdema.org.

Also check: the cost of living calculator for budgeting your supplies, and the flight distance & time calculator if you need to look at flight options.

Sources: FEMA / Ready.gov — Build A Kit · Ready.gov — Water · Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)

See our calculator methodology for how these figures are estimated.