La Niña spells an increase in hurricane activity — how to prepare

For the 2024 hurricane season, it is a La Niña year, meaning that it's very possible that it will be a particularly active season for these monster storms. La Niña is a weather pattern that causes jet streams that bring drought in the southern United States and intense rainfall in the Northwest. The drier, warmer weather in the South can lead to more hurricanes. Forecasts predict that we may get as many as 33 named storms this year—14 named storms will form in a standard year.

If you live in an area that’s at risk of being hit by a hurricane, you’ll want to prepare well ahead of touch down. After securing your house, make sure you have the supplies you need in case of a hurricane. We rounded up the best things to consider having on hand for hurricane season.

When is hurricane season 2024?

The Atlantic Hurricane season lasts from June 1 to November 30. Hurricane season peaks from mid-August through mid-October.

Safety products for hurricane season 2024

A flashlight

If a hurricane takes out the power, you'll want a bright and long-lasting flashlight to help you navigate your house when it's dark. For this, we recommend Olight Baton 3 Premium Edition, the best flashlight we've tested. It's easy to use and lasts for a whopping 72 hours after a full charge. Keep in mind that it charges instead of being powered by disposable batteries, so you'll need to make sure it's ready to use before the power goes out.

An emergency radio

Using an emergency radio will help you get important storm updates even when the power is out. Eoxsmile's emergency radio is the highest-rated option on Amazon. It comes with five power sources including solar power, hand crank power and AAA battery backup power. It also has a built-in flashlight, USB charger and SOS alarm.

A first aid kit

Accidents can happen during the confusion of an emergency. To prepare for them, you should keep a first aid kit handy. One of the best ones you can buy is Protect Life's 100-Piece first aid kit. It's compact, lightweight, holds all your essentials and is spacious enough to add additional supplies.

Bottled water

Hurricanes carry the risk of cutting off or contaminating your tap water, making it unsafe to drink. In the case of contamination, government officials will post a water advisory. To ensure that you and your family have plenty of safe water for drinking, cooking and bathing, we recommend stocking up on bottled water before a hurricane.

A can opener

Canned food is great to have during a power outage, as it has a long shelf life allowing you to store it well in advance and it typically doesn't need to be refrigerated. When you go to buy your canned goods in preparation for a hurricane, don't forget to buy a can opener while you're at it or your canned goods will be useless. Our favorite manual can opener is the EZ-DUZ-IT Deluxe Can Opener because it's easy to use, durable and affordable, too.

Rechargeable batteries

Many of the devices you'll want during a power outage may require batteries to operate. Whether you're using a radio or flashlight, you'll want to make sure to have a supply of quality batteries on hand to ensure your devices last for as long as you need. Of the ones we've tested, the best rechargeable AA batteries are the Energizer Recharge Universal. These batteries have the best price-performance balance and can handle 1,000 recharge cycles.

A generator

With a portable generator, you'll be able to keep key appliances running after the power goes out. Just make sure to take proper safety precautions and operate the generator outdoors in a dry area. Just make sure to operate a generator outdoors in a dry area. One of the best generators you can buy is the Westinghouse WGen9500DF thanks to its high wattage and dual fuel options.

A portable charger

For smaller devices, such as phones, a portable battery will have enough power to keep them charged throughout an outage. The best power bank we've tested is the Mophie Powerstation PD thanks to its compact size, high power capacity, its ability to charge two phones at once and its quick charge times.

Lifestraw

Lifestraw is a portable filter that you can use to safely drink water that's been contaminated by bacteria. It's a good option if you're under a boil water advisory and don't have access to either a burner or bottled water. Beyond use in emergency situations, it's a handy device to bring camping, hiking or traveling.

A portable stove

To cook canned goods and other food when the power is down, we recommend using a portable stove. A great portable stove to use is Coleman's Portable Butane Stove, which has over 8,800 five-star reviews on Amazon. Buyers love the stove's ease of use, quick heating and value. When using a portable stove, always remember to operate it outside only.

A surge protector

While storms such as hurricanes have a propensity for knocking power out, ironically, they can also give too much power by way of electrical surges, which have the tendency to fry your electronics. To avoid this headache, we recommend using a surge protector such as GE's top-rated power strip surge protector. With over 57,000 five-star reviews, buyers love the protection the power strip brings, as well as the convenient length of its chord.

A waterproof safe

If the worst comes to pass and stormwater breaches your home, you can still protect vital documents using a waterproof safe. One of the most popular ones on Amazon is sold by SentrySafe, which has over 7,000 five-star ratings. Buyers love the simple-to-use digital keypad, as well as the high-quality build of the safe.