How do I prepare for a hurricane in the Florida Keys?
Know your evacuation phase and leave early on the one road out, protect the house with shutters and a sound roof, and keep your documents and supplies ready to go. The Keys are more exposed than almost anywhere in Florida because they are low, narrow islands with a single main highway, so preparation here is built around leaving in time rather than riding it out. Follow the orders from Monroe County emergency officials, because in the Keys those orders come early for good reason.
Key takeaways
- The Keys have essentially one evacuation route, US-1, so leave early and on your phase.
- Monroe County evacuates in phases, with visitors ordered out before residents.
- Storm surge is the top threat on low islands; do not judge risk by wind category alone.
- Protect every opening with shutters or panels and keep the roof in good repair.
- Elevation helps with surge but is not a reason to stay through a mandatory evacuation.
Table of contents
- Know your evacuation phase and leave early
- Why the Keys are different
- Protect the house before you go
- Supplies and documents
- Elevated homes need prep too
- After the storm
- Where to start
Know your evacuation phase and leave early
The single most important part of hurricane preparation in the Keys is the evacuation plan. Monroe County uses a phased evacuation: visitors and tourists are ordered to leave first, then residents, because there is essentially one way off the islands. US-1 and the Overseas Highway carry everyone north, and that road fills up fast.
When an order is issued for your phase, go. Waiting for certainty about the track is how people end up on a crowded highway as bands of wind and rain arrive. Watch Monroe County Emergency Management and the state for the orders, and the National Hurricane Center for the forecast. Local orders always take priority over any general guidance, including this article.
Why the Keys are different
The Keys are low, narrow islands surrounded by warm water, with no high ground to retreat to. That geography makes storm surge, not just wind, the defining threat. A storm that would be manageable inland can push a dangerous surge across an island that is only a few feet above sea level.
Recent history makes the point. Hurricane Irma made landfall at Cudjoe Key in September 2017 as a Category 4 storm and caused severe damage across the Lower Keys. The lesson locals took from it is the same one officials repeat every season: judge the risk by surge and your evacuation phase, not by the wind category alone, and do not wait to leave.
Protect the house before you go
If you have time before an evacuation, harden the house:
- Close permanent shutters, or install panels or plywood over every window and door. Impact glass helps, but openings are still where wind gets in. Our guide on hurricane shutters versus impact windows compares the options.
- Clear the yard, porch, and dock of anything that can fly: furniture, grills, planters, and loose gear.
- Make sure the roof is in good repair, since a compromised roof is a common failure point. Browse hurricane shutter and storm pros if you need work done before the season.
- Shut off utilities as advised by local officials if you evacuate.
Supplies and documents
Whether you evacuate or shelter elsewhere, have a kit ready before the season, not the day a storm forms. Basics include several days of water and non-perishable food, medications, flashlights and batteries, a battery or crank radio, cash, phone chargers, and a first-aid kit. Just as important, take your documents with you: insurance policies, identification, and photos of the home's condition, which speed up any claim later. Our broader hurricane preparation checklist covers the full list, and when hurricane season runs explains why June through November is the window to stay ready.
Elevated homes need prep too
Many Keys homes are built up on pilings to deal with flood zones, and elevation genuinely helps against surge. It does not make a home hurricane-proof. Wind, wind-driven rain, and flying debris still threaten the structure, and the open area beneath an elevated home should be cleared and secured so nothing under it becomes a projectile. Most importantly, elevation is never a reason to stay through a mandatory evacuation. The order is about getting people off the islands safely while the one road is still passable.
After the storm
Do not rush back. Re-entry to the Keys is controlled after a major storm while crews clear US-1, restore power, and check for hazards, and returning before it is authorized can put you in danger and in the way. When you do return, document any damage with photos before cleanup and be careful about post-storm contractors who arrive uninvited. Our guide on what to do after a hurricane walks through the first steps.
Where to start
Start by confirming your evacuation phase with Monroe County now, before a storm is on the map, and by getting any shutter or roof work done early. If you need help, compare local home service pros in Key West and across the Keys, and keep the storm prep hub handy through the season. In the Keys, the homeowners who prepare early and leave on time are the ones who come through best.