Florida Hurricane Prep for Shipping Containers, Propane Tanks and Trailers

By James Trench, Trenchsafety

Most hurricane checklists cover the house. Few cover the steel box at the back of the lot, the propane tank feeding the kitchen, or the trailer by the barn. In a storm, those can turn into hazards for you and your neighbors.

This guide covers what to do with each of them before the season, in the last 72 hours before a storm, and after it passes. We sell containers, propane tanks and trailers out of Floral City, so these are the questions we hear. We aren’t engineers or propane technicians, though, so wherever a step depends on the code, a permit or a gas system, we point you to the people who sign off on it. Every safety point below links to its source.

When to start

The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from June 1 to November 30, and storms sometimes form outside those dates, according to the National Hurricane Center. NHC puts the peak of the season around September 10.

Two terms decide how much time you have left. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible, and it goes out 48 hours before tropical-storm-force winds are expected. A hurricane warning means hurricane conditions are expected, and it goes out 36 hours ahead, because outdoor prep gets hard once winds reach tropical storm force (39 to 73 mph). That’s from NOAA. So the container, tank and trailer work belongs before the warning, not after.

Before the season: a checklist

The Florida Division of Emergency Management’s five steps of hurricane preparedness start with “Know Your Home, Know Your Zone.” That applies to your outdoor equipment too.

• Look up your evacuation zone and flood risk. Use the state’s Know Your Zone tool or, in Citrus County, the Sheriff’s Office GIS address lookup. Check your flood zone on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center. Whether your lot floods changes the plan for every item below.
• Sign up for local alerts. In Citrus County that’s AlertCitrus, linked from the Sheriff’s disaster information page. Statewide, FDEM points people to AlertFlorida.
• Ask your propane supplier about anchoring. Do it now, not during a watch (more below).
• Check permits and anchoring for any container or building you’ve placed. Talk to your county building and zoning offices before you need to.
• Service your trailer. Check tires, lights, brakes and the hitch while there’s no rush.
• Write it down. FDEM’s hurricane guide suggests making a written or video record of your possessions to help with insurance claims. Include serial numbers, VINs and photos of your containers, tanks and trailers, and keep copies with your important documents.
• Post your shutoff instructions. PERC, the propane industry’s safety council, recommends posting contact numbers for emergency services and utilities, your propane supplier included, along with instructions for turning off propane, electricity and water.
• Keep your vehicle at least half full. FDEM’s “Halfway Full is Halfway There” step applies all season, not just once a storm is named. If your truck is also your tow vehicle, that matters twice over.

The 72-hour checklist

Once a storm is three days out and your area is in the forecast cone, work through this list. Stop outdoor work when local officials tell you to, or when the wind picks up.

1. Top off propane if you can. PERC notes that fuel may be hard to get after a hurricane, and roads to your property may not be open for delivery (PERC hurricane handout, PDF).
2. Clear the yard. Ready.gov says to bring in outside furniture and clear drains and gutters. Ferrellgas, following PERC guidance, adds that you should bring in or tie down anything loose near your propane tank, because flying objects can damage the tank and gas lines (Ferrellgas).
3. Close and lock container doors. Move anything you don’t want soaked up off the floor, and move what you can’t afford to lose somewhere else entirely.
4. Decide what the trailer is doing. It’s either hitched and loaded for evacuation, or parked and secured. Don’t leave it half-ready.
5. Charge phones and backup batteries. Ready.gov recommends this once a hurricane is in the forecast.

Anchoring shipping containers

People ask us whether a shipping container is “hurricane proof.” No product is, and no honest seller should tell you otherwise. How a container holds up depends on how it’s anchored, where it sits and what’s been cut into it.

Start with permits and zoning, before delivery if you can. County rules differ a lot. In Citrus County, the Building Division handles permits and inspections, follows the Florida Building Code and the county Land Development Code, and also handles floodplain management (Citrus County Building Division). Citrus County’s code also limits how containers can be used. Section 3102(E) of the Land Development Code says vehicles, trailers and “shipping containers and similar units” shall not be used as a storage building or utility building as an accessory use (Chapter 3, Use Standards, Ord. 2025-A04, PDF). What’s allowed can depend on your zoning and how you use the container, so call zoning and the Building Division with your parcel number before you place one or change its use.

Anchoring is an engineering question. The Florida Building Code requires buildings and structures to be anchored against uplift and sliding (FBC 2023, Chapter 16, Section 1604.8). How much anchoring a site needs depends on the design wind speed for your location, your soil and your flood zone. If your county requires anchoring, or the container is permanent, modified or occupied, have a Florida-licensed engineer design it and permit it. Don’t rely on a generic kit or a rule of thumb.

Ground anchors, tie-downs and ballast. Common approaches include connecting the container’s corner castings to ground anchors, embedded plates or a concrete foundation, but the engineer and the permit decide which one fits your site. If someone suggests relying on weight inside the container (ballast) instead of a real connection to the ground, ask your engineer whether that counts toward the design at all. Don’t assume it does.

Cabins and modular buildings go through the same building department. If you’re in a flood zone, raise it up front; that office also runs floodplain management.

If you’re still shopping, our shipping containers pages list sizes, and our container buyer’s guide covers what to check on a unit before you buy. Ask about anchoring and permits at the same time you ask about delivery.

Propane tanks

Propane is where hurricane prep matters most, and where you should do the least yourself.

Anchoring, especially in flood zones. PERC says that in flood zone areas, large propane tanks should be anchored securely, that this is required by the NFPA, and that your propane supplier can determine whether and how anchoring should be done (PERC). The governing code is NFPA 58, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code (NFPA 58), which many state and local jurisdictions adopt into law.

Why floating is the real risk. PERC warns that a large tank can be knocked loose from its service line and float away, hitting trees, vehicles or other heavy objects, and that water and debris can get into regulators and controls. The Department of Energy’s Building America Solution Center, drawing on FEMA P-348, explains why: floodwater pushes up on a submerged tank, the force grows as more of the tank goes under, and an empty tank feels more net lift than a full one. Buried tanks can be pushed up out of the ground, too. BASC also notes that anchors should be designed for the soil type and for weaker, saturated soil, and that hardware should resist corrosion.

Don’t move or re-anchor a filled tank yourself. Ferrellgas puts it plainly: “Do not attempt to anchor or reposition a tank yourself. Contact your propane supplier, who can assess your installation and, if time allows, may be able to move the tank to higher ground” (Ferrellgas). This applies to tanks we sell, too. Setting, connecting and anchoring a tank is a job for a licensed propane company.

Shut off the gas when the storm comes. PERC’s handout says to shut off your gas whether you stay or leave. Turn the main supply valve on the tank to the right (clockwise) if it’s safe, and turn off the valves near indoor appliances. If you’re on a metered pipe system, ask your supplier how to shut it off.

Cylinders and generators. Never store or place a propane cylinder indoors or in an enclosed space such as a basement, garage, shed or tent. Never use outdoor propane appliances like grills, portable heaters and portable generators indoors, because of carbon monoxide risk (PERC). Ready.gov says generators belong outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows, doors and attached garages (Ready.gov, power outages). A shipping container or shed counts as an enclosed space here.

After you shut it off, call before turning it back on. PERC says that if you turn off your propane, a service technician should inspect the system before it goes back on. The same applies if appliances or equipment were underwater.

If you’re planning a new installation, our propane tanks category covers above-ground and underground tanks, and our propane tank buying guide goes through the basics. Bring up flood zone and anchoring with your installer before the tank goes in.

Trailers

A trailer is two things in a hurricane: something that can blow or float away, and possibly your way out.

Storage if you’re staying put. Park on high, firm ground away from trees and power lines if you can. When you unhitch, NHTSA says to block the tires front and back so the trailer can’t roll. Take loose cargo off utility and dump trailers, and remember that an enclosed trailer catches a lot of wind. We couldn’t find a government standard for tying down cargo trailers, so follow your trailer maker’s guidance and use anchors and straps rated for the load.

Tires, brakes and bearings before you need them. NHTSA’s towing guide (Towing a Trailer: Being Equipped for Safety, PDF copy) lists the pre-trip checks:

• tire pressure on the tow vehicle and trailer
• lug nuts torqued
• hitch and coupler secured
• safety chains connected
• wiring connected, and all running, brake and turn lights working
• brakes working on both units
• cargo secured
• jack raised and locked
• load balanced front to back and side to side

It also says to keep maintenance current before towing. Wheel bearings and hubs fall under that, so follow the service schedule in your trailer’s manual. Don’t leave it for the morning of an evacuation.

Evacuation use and towing limits. If you’re hauling animals in a stock or horse trailer, or using a trailer to carry belongings, stay within your truck’s ratings. NHTSA lists them: tow rating, maximum tongue weight, GVWR (the most the tow vehicle can weigh fully loaded), GCWR (the combined weight of vehicle, trailer, passengers and cargo) and GAWR (what each axle can carry). The owner’s manual has these numbers, and your hitch has to match them. Weigh what you’ll actually be towing loaded, not the trailer’s empty “dry” weight. A loaded evacuation is not the time to find out your truck is over its limit.

Also keep in mind FDEM’s advice that you may only need to go tens of miles, not hundreds: inland, to higher ground or out of the evacuation zone. And never tow through floodwater. Ready.gov notes that just one foot of moving water can sweep a vehicle away. Turn around, don’t drown.

In Citrus County, the evacuation map calls for all mobile home and RV residents to evacuate at every evacuation level (Citrus County evacuation zones map, PDF). If you live in a living-quarters trailer or RV, plan to leave.

For more on matching a trailer to your truck, see our trailer buying guide and our piece on buying a dump or stock trailer for farm and ranch work. Browse all trailers here.

After the storm

Ready.gov says to pay attention to local officials, be careful during cleanup, and not touch wet electrical equipment or stand in water. Once you’re back outside:

• If you smell gas, leave right away. PERC’s steps: no flames or sparks, so don’t touch lights, appliances or phones near the area. Get everyone out, shut off the tank’s main valve if it’s safe, and call your propane supplier from somewhere away from the leak, or 911 or the fire department if you can’t reach them. Don’t go back until your supplier says it’s safe.
• Look for shifted, damaged or missing tanks. If your tank has moved or is missing, or a tank that isn’t yours has ended up on your property, call your propane supplier or the fire department right away (PERC). Don’t try to fix valves, regulators or appliance parts yourself.
• Leave the gas off until it’s been inspected. Don’t use propane appliances or equipment that were underwater, or turn the gas back on, until a qualified technician has inspected and leak-tested the system (PERC). Never inspect appliances or flip switches while standing in water.
• Watch for downed lines and floodwater. Ready.gov warns that floodwater can be contaminated and hide debris, and that downed power lines can electrically charge it (Ready.gov, floods). Use flashlights, not candles (PERC).
• Inspect containers. Check the anchors and connections, look for shifting or tilting, check the doors and seals, and look for water inside. If it moved, have the anchoring re-checked before you rely on it again, and ask the Building Division whether the repair needs a permit.
• Check trailers before towing. Run the full NHTSA pre-trip list first.
• Document damage with photos before you clean up, for your insurance.

Printable checklist

Before the season

• ☐ Look up evacuation zone (FloridaDisaster.org/Know or Citrus County GIS lookup)
• ☐ Check flood zone on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center
• ☐ Sign up for AlertCitrus or AlertFlorida
• ☐ Ask propane supplier whether the tank needs anchoring
• ☐ Confirm container and building permits, zoning and anchoring with the county
• ☐ Service the trailer: tires, lights, brakes, hitch, bearings per manual
• ☐ Look up tow ratings (tow rating, tongue weight, GVWR, GCWR, GAWR)
• ☐ Photograph equipment and record serial numbers and VINs
• ☐ Post shutoff instructions and the propane supplier’s number

72 hours out

• ☐ Top off propane if possible
• ☐ Bring in or tie down loose items, especially near the propane tank
• ☐ Raise or move valuables in containers; close and lock the doors
• ☐ Trailer: either hitched and ready to go, or parked, chocked, unloaded and secured
• ☐ Vehicle fuel at least half full; phones and backup batteries charged

Storm arrival

• ☐ Shut off the propane at the tank (clockwise) and the appliance valves, if safe
• ☐ Follow evacuation orders. Never drive or tow through floodwater

After

• ☐ Return only when officials say it’s safe
• ☐ Smell gas? Leave, then call the supplier or 911
• ☐ Report moved, missing or unknown tanks
• ☐ Leave the gas off until a technician inspects it
• ☐ Inspect container anchors and doors, and check for water inside
• ☐ Run the full pre-trip check before towing
• ☐ Photograph damage for insurance

FAQ

Are shipping containers hurricane proof?

No product is hurricane proof. How well a container holds up depends on how it’s anchored, the wind and flood conditions at your site, and any openings cut into it. Have a Florida-licensed engineer design the anchoring if your county requires it, and check zoning and permits first.

Do I need a permit to anchor a shipping container in Citrus County?

Ask the Citrus County Building Division and zoning staff with your parcel number. The county follows the Florida Building Code, and its Land Development Code limits containers as accessory storage or utility buildings (Section 3102(E)), so the answer depends on your zoning and how you use the container.

Should I move my propane tank before a hurricane?

Not yourself. Call your propane supplier. They can check your installation and anchoring and, if there’s time, may be able to move the tank to higher ground.

Should I turn off my propane tank during a hurricane?

PERC’s guidance is to shut off the gas whether you stay or evacuate, if it’s safe to do so. Close the main valve clockwise and close the appliance valves. Then have a technician check the system before you turn it back on.

Can I use my trailer to evacuate?

Yes, if your truck and hitch are rated for the loaded weight and the trailer has passed a pre-trip check. Leave early, and remember FDEM’s advice that you may only need to go tens of miles. Never tow through floodwater.

This guide is general information, not engineering, legal or gas-system advice. Follow your local officials, your building department and your licensed propane supplier.