Storm prep
Have this before the storm, not after
Minnesota's emergency management agency (HSEM) points every household to the same basic kit: supplies to get through several days after severe weather. The list below is that guidance, item by item, with the specification worth checking and a direct link. Two items earn their place the morning after hail specifically: a tarp, because your homeowners policy expects you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, and a document bag, because the claim goes faster when the policy isn't soggy.
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Home storm & emergency kit
Minnesota HSEM's weather-safety guidance follows the federal Ready.gov kit list: supplies to get your household through several days after a storm.
Emergency water storage (1 gallon/person/day)
The kit list Minnesota HSEM points to starts with water: one gallon per person per day, several days' worth, in food-grade containers.
Look for: Food-grade (BPA-free) containers; several days at 1 gal/person/day
Basis: MN HSEM weather safety (kit list via Ready.gov)
Find on AmazonNOAA weather radio with tone alert
The one specific electronics spec on the kit list: a battery-powered or hand-crank radio that receives NOAA weather broadcasts and wakes you with a tone alert when a warning is issued.
Look for: NOAA weather band with S.A.M.E./tone alert; battery or hand-crank
Basis: MN HSEM weather safety (kit list via Ready.gov)
Find on AmazonHeavy-duty tarp + plastic sheeting + duct tape
Plastic sheeting and duct tape are on the federal kit list HSEM points to. After hail or wind damage, tarping openings is also the “reasonable steps to prevent further damage” your homeowners policy expects.
Basis: MN HSEM weather safety (kit list via Ready.gov)
Find on AmazonLantern + flashlights + batteries
Flashlight and extra batteries, straight from the kit list. An LED lantern lights a room during an outage without tying up a hand.
Basis: MN HSEM weather safety (kit list via Ready.gov)
Find on AmazonHome first aid kit
On the kit list. Buy one that's organized and labeled, then add your household's prescriptions.
Basis: MN HSEM weather safety (kit list via Ready.gov)
Find on AmazonN95 dust masks
“Dust mask to help filter contaminated air” is on the kit list, and post-storm cleanup (insulation, drywall dust, mold) is when you'll actually reach for them.
Look for: NIOSH-approved N95
Basis: MN HSEM weather safety (kit list via Ready.gov)
Find on AmazonFire/water-resistant document bag
The kit list says keep copies of important documents ready. Insurance policies, deeds, and IDs in one grab-and-go bag makes the claim after the storm far easier.
Basis: MN HSEM weather safety (kit list via Ready.gov)
Find on AmazonManual can opener + utility tool
The kit list is specific about this one because everyone forgets it: several days of canned food helps nobody without a manual opener and a basic wrench or pliers to shut off utilities.
Basis: MN HSEM weather safety (kit list via Ready.gov)
Find on AmazonBundle
Storm-ready home bundle
The Ready.gov kit HSEM points Minnesotans to, minus the pantry items you already own. The tarp and document bag are the two that matter most the morning after hail.
- NOAA weather radio with tone alertAmazon
- Heavy-duty tarp + plastic sheeting + duct tapeAmazon
- Lantern + flashlights + batteriesAmazon
- Home first aid kitAmazon
- Emergency water storage (1 gallon/person/day)Amazon
- N95 dust masksAmazon
- Fire/water-resistant document bagAmazon
- Manual can opener + utility toolAmazon
Tarping note: get on a roof only if it is safe and you know what you're doing; a ladder after a storm injures more homeowners than the hail did. Many roofers will do an emergency tarp-over quickly, and that cost is normally part of the insurance claim.