Chapter 4
Storing water before a storm
The questionHow much water should we store before a hurricane, and how do we keep it safe?
The short answerStoring water before a hurricane means at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days, CDC says, and more in Gulf Coast heat, kept in clean food-grade containers away from sun and chemicals.
By the editors of High Water at Home · Updated · about 6 minutes
Sections in this chapter
- 4.1 How much water should you store?
- 4.2 What containers are safe for drinking water?
- 4.3 Where and how long should you keep it?
- 4.4 Should you fill the bathtub before the storm?
- 4.5 Do you know where your main water shutoff is?
- 4.6 Should you shut off the water when you evacuate?
- 4.7 What if your water comes from a well?
4.1 How much water should you store?
Start with the federal floor: the CDC's emergency water page, updated 27 June 2025, says at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days, and a 2-week supply if you can manage it. That gallon covers drinking and basic washing. The same page says to store more for pregnant women, sick people, pets, and anyone in a hot climate, which describes a Wharton County August.
Heat is the reason to go above the minimum. Ready.gov's water page says a normally active person needs about three quarters of a gallon of fluid a day, and that in very hot weather the need can double. A CDC planning toolbox from 2016 suggests 2 gallons per person per day when the weather is likely to be very warm (Table 4.1).
| Agency | Figure | Date on the page |
|---|---|---|
| CDC | At least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days; aim for 2 weeks | Updated 27 Jun 2025 |
| CDC | Store more for pregnancy, illness, pets or a hot climate | Updated 27 Jun 2025 |
| Ready.gov | About 3/4 gallon of fluid a day for an active person; can double in heat | Updated 22 Feb 2021 |
| CDC toolbox | 2 gallons per person per day if very warm | 2016 |
Never ration drinking water unless officials tell you to, Ready.gov says. Drink what you need today and look for more tomorrow.
4.2 What containers are safe for drinking water?
Use food-grade containers made of tough, unbreakable material, not glass. Never reuse a jug that held bleach, pesticide or any other toxic chemical, the CDC says, even after rinsing. Unopened store-bought water in its own bottles is the simplest choice.
To ready a container you fill yourself, wash it and its cap with soap and rinse. Then sanitize it with 1 teaspoon of unscented household bleach in 1 quart of water, shake so the solution touches every inside surface, wait at least 30 seconds, pour it out and let the container air-dry. That is the CDC's method; Ready.gov gives the same ratio. Fill it from a tap you trust.
4.3 Where and how long should you keep it?
Keep stored water somewhere cool, between 50°F and 70°F, out of direct sun and away from gasoline, pesticides and other chemicals. An attached garage in July is a poor spot on two counts. Label each container "drinking water" with the date you filled it, and replace water you bottled yourself every 6 months.
The CDC also suggests storing a bottle of unscented bleach with the water, with a label showing 5% to 9% sodium hypochlorite. Ready.gov's older page still lists a narrower strength; follow the newer CDC range when you buy.
4.4 Should you fill the bathtub before the storm?
Yes, for flushing, not for drinking. The CDC's toolbox says to fill bathtubs before an emergency so you have water for the toilet if the supply stops. Pour a bucketful into the bowl to flush. Keep small children away from a full tub.
If you are on a septic system, every flush still goes to the tank and field. When the yard is soaked, use as little as you can, as the septic chapter explains.
4.5 Do you know where your main water shutoff is?
Everyone in the house should know how to shut off the main water valve, Ready.gov's safety-skills page, updated 20 March 2026, says. Find it now, in daylight, and tag it. Turn it to check that it closes all the way; a valve rusted open or one that will not seat should be replaced by a licensed plumber before storm season.
Use the house valve, not the one at the street. Ready.gov notes that shutting the main house valve keeps the water already inside your water heater and toilet tanks from draining away, while the street valve is hard to turn and needs a special tool. A water heater holds many gallons; the chapter on shutting things off shows where valves usually sit.
4.6 Should you shut off the water when you evacuate?
If you are evacuating and the house valve is dry and quick to reach, closing it on the way out limits damage from a broken pipe. Ready.gov's evacuation page says to shut off utilities if your home is damaged or officials tell you to. Never go into water to reach the valve. Gas is a different matter in this book: never work a gas valve, tank valve or meter yourself; a gas smell means everyone leaves first, and the calls to 911 and to your gas utility, which is CenterPoint Energy for the cities of Wharton and El Campo, or to the propane dealer happen once you are outdoors. Part III has the details. For power, see the chapter on power that stays off: never touch a panel while wet or standing in water.
4.7 What if your water comes from a well?
A private well can be cut off twice over: no power runs the pump, and floodwater can reach the wellhead. A Texas A&M AgriLife guide for well owners warns that once floodwater covers a well, even for a short time, its water is off limits for drinking, cooking and toothbrushing. Plan your stored supply as if a city line had failed. The wellhead chapter covers the well itself, and the generator chapter covers running the pump in an outage.
Questions readers ask
Can we drink the water in the water heater after a storm?
Ready.gov counts the water heater as part of the supply you keep by closing the main house valve before the storm. If the heater went under floodwater, do not use that water. Makers say a heater that sat in floodwater should be replaced, and a licensed plumber confirms it; see Water heaters that went under water.
Is bathtub water safe to drink if we boil it?
The CDC lists bathtub water for flushing, not drinking. Keep drinking water in clean, closed containers.
How often should store-bought bottled water be replaced?
The CDC's six-month rule is for water you bottle yourself. For store-bought water, follow the date on the label and keep it cool and out of the sun.
Do pets need their own water supply?
Yes. The CDC says to store extra for pets, and a dog in Gulf Coast heat drinks more than on a cool day.
What size containers work best?
Pick sizes you can lift when full and pour without help. Several smaller food-grade jugs are easier to move, rotate and keep clean than one large drum.
What this chapter rests on
This chapter follows the CDC's emergency water page (updated 27 June 2025), the CDC's 2016 advisory toolbox, and Ready.gov's water, safety-skills, hurricane and evacuation pages, all checked on 11 Nov 2026. No Red Cross figures appear here. No agency publishes a separate Texas figure, so the hot-climate advice is the CDC's general one.
Notes to chapter 4
- CDC — How to Create an Emergency Water Supply · amounts, containers, sanitizing ratio, storage temperature, 6-month rule, bleach strength · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Ready.gov — Water · fluid needs, heat, no rationing · checked 11 Nov 2026
- CDC — Drinking Water Advisory Communication Toolbox (2016) · bathtubs for flushing, 2 gallons in warm weather · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Ready.gov — Safety Skills · main water valve, house valve vs street valve · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Ready.gov — Evacuation · shut off utilities if the home is damaged or officials say to · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Ready.gov — Hurricanes · season dates · checked 11 Nov 2026
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension / TWON — How to Ready Your Well for the Next Flood (ESC-058) · do not use a submerged well's water · checked 11 Nov 2026