Hurricane preparation: Supplies you'll need for a hurricane kit

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.

The National Hurricane Center, Florida Division of Emergency Management, AccuWeather, the Red Cross — and all other local, state and federal disaster officials — strongly encourage everyone who lives in a hurricane-prone area to assemble an emergency kit.

The best advice is to purchase, or update your kit from the prior year, well before a storm is approaching. It's not unusual to find long lines or bare shelves when a hurricane is imminent.

Here are suggestions of what you should have.

Assemble this now. Put aside in a special box. Keep heat-sensitive items inside your house and rotate the stock throughout season:

Get enough nonperishable food to last two weeks. Then put it in a box and leave it alone. Canned and other prepared foods that are salty or dry or high in fat or protein might make for good provisions, but they’ll also make you thirsty.

Stores will be mobbed just before a storm and closed for days after. Keep a two-week supply of prescription drugs. Your first-aid kit should include:

Keep your gas tank full. Stations could be without power for weeks after a catastrophic storm or it may be difficult for tankers to reach the area.

Keep these documents in a waterproof, portable container: