Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, and the busiest stretch for South Florida is usually August through October. Most of us prepare the house with shutters, water and batteries. The car gets forgotten, even though it is how you evacuate, run to the pharmacy after the storm and charge your phone when the power is out.
Start with the basics
- Jumper cables and a tow strap, because batteries die after days of sitting in humid heat.
- A first aid kit, work gloves and a flashlight with fresh batteries.
- A warning triangle or flares in case you stop on a dark shoulder.
- A gallon of water per person and a few shelf-stable snacks.
An organized roadside bag covers most of this in one go and keeps it from rolling around the trunk.
Keep the tires ready
Storm debris means nails and screws on the road for weeks afterward. A cordless tire inflator with an automatic shutoff lets you top up a slow leak and get to a tire shop without waiting for roadside assistance, which is often overloaded after a storm.
Fill up early
Gas lines form fast once a storm is in the forecast cone. Keep the tank at least half full from August onward, and fill it completely as soon as Broward County announces any evacuation zones.
Know your zone
Hollywood has neighborhoods in evacuation zones A and B, especially east of US-1 and along the Intracoastal. Check your zone on the Broward County website before a storm, plan two routes inland, and never drive through standing water. Just 12 inches of moving water can float a small car.
Put the kit together on a calm weekend now, and it will be one less thing to think about when the cone points our way.
