How much will a hurricane kit cost? See prices as you get ready for storm season
You live in Florida. Hurricane season runs June 1 to Nov. 30. No escaping the stress.
Remove some anxiety by preparing a hurricane kit of essentials now so you aren’t huddled in a soul-crushing line of fellow panic buyers at the supermarkets when the next storm watch and warning arrives.
MORE: U.S. hurricane forecast: ‘Everything is in place’ for another above-average season
Some of the essentials you ought to consider having ready include canned and nonperishable food for at least seven days per person. Think things you can eat in a pinch without electricity: Canned tuna. Canned beans. Canned veggies. At least one gallon of water per person. Baby food and diapers. Food and water for your pet.
Your kit should also include at least one flashlight, a battery-operated or cranked radio, a first-aid kit and the medicine you regularly take.
Because the cost of groceries and goods is at the forefront of our conversations, we looked into the prices of several items that Miami-Dade County includes on its recommended hurricane supply kit.
Prices vary among stores such as Publix, Aldi, Sedano’s, Winn-Dixie and Walmart. Prices can fluctuate at least weekly even among stores in the same chain. So take the figures as an idea of what you may spend. Multiply the cost for the number of people living in the household.
TIP: Store brands tend to be cheaper than name brands.
Food and water
▪ Water: One gallon per person per day. Figure between $1.30-$1.99 for a plastic gallon jug. That would work out to $9 to $14 for a week’s supply.
▪ Non-perishable food: Canned tuna (1.39-$2.19), beans ($1.39-$2.29), soups ($1.99), vegetables (1.19-$1.79), fruits ($1.50-$2.50). Also jarred peanut butter (about $3.25 for a 16-ounce name brand like Jif or Skippy; often on sale as BOGOs at some chains like Publix), granola or power bars ($5-$7 for a box of 12), crackers ($3.50-$4.50).
Figure you’re spending about $40 to $60 to get a week’s supply on some items you’d consume in a day. Jars of peanut butter will obviously last longer than a day unless you’re voracious or there’s more than a couple of people in the house.
▪ Baby food and products. Gerber baby food jars ($1.39-$2.49) and Huggies 50-count box of diapers ($29).
▪ Pet food: A seven-day supply of cat and dog food, dry or wet or both, would run about $10 to $20 given that individual small cans of cat and dog food are about 90 cents and $1.69, respectively. A large bag of dry Meow Mix or Pedigree Choice Cuts runs $20 to $23.
Emergency supplies
▪ Manual can opener: Essential to open all those canned goods when the power cuts out. About $5 to $10.
▪ NOAA weather radio, battery operated. $20 to $24 on Amazon but there are many kinds of portable radios at different costs.
▪ Batteries to power flashlights and portable radios and so many other household items. Prices vary for different sizes but generally run about $11 for a four pack of C or D batteries; $9 to $10 for an eight pack of AAA batteries or two nine-volt batteries.
▪ Bandages, hydrogen peroxide, wound dressings. Sometimes accidents happen. For the nicks and cuts that don’t require professional care, you should have basic first-aid supplies. Band-Aid waterproof strips run about $4.79 for a box of 20; extra large 10 pack adhesive bandages are about $2.59; and general store brand adhesive strips are about $2 for a box of 20.
TIP: The traditional Florida tax holiday that has previously run in June and August in previous seasons to give consumers a break on paying taxes on numerous hurricane supplies was proposed as a part of the 2025 state budget. But as of May 28, that budget has not passed. The Florida Department of Revenue website posts dates and details for disaster preparedness but hasn’t been updated yet.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
