Storm countdown planner · Galveston, TX
Hurricane shutter closing time calculator
Enter the hours until tropical-storm-force winds, your opening count and your own timed minutes per opening. The planner shows whether the work fits if you start at a hurricane watch (48 hours) or warning (36 hours), with a buffer you choose.
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For the hours until winds, use a time from a current National Hurricane Center product. Its Earliest Reasonable Arrival Time graphic is described as the period for finishing preparations if you have a low tolerance for risk. The minutes per opening should come from a timed practice run in calm weather; the starting value is only a placeholder.
Results below use the example values shown. Turn on JavaScript to change them.
- Time to close every opening
- 140 minutesOpenings × minutes ÷ people.
- Total working time
- 4.3 hoursClosing plus your other tasks.
- Hours to set aside before winds
- 13.8 hoursIncludes your buffer and hours you cannot work.
- Spare hours at the time you entered
- 34.2 hoursNegative means it does not fit.
- Spare hours if you start at a watch
- 34.2 hours48 hours before expected winds.
- Spare hours if you start at a warning
- 22.2 hours36 hours before expected winds.
- Slowest pace that fits a warning start
- 81 minutes per openingCompare with your practice time.
- Closing time as a share of 36 hours
- 6 %Closing only; other tasks excluded.
- At the hours you entered. The plan fits with your buffer. Forecasts can change, so treat the spare time as a margin, not a promise.
- Starting at a warning. Even a start at the warning (36 hours out) leaves room on these numbers.
- Starting at a watch. A start at the watch (48 hours out) leaves room on these numbers.
Hours to set aside = (closing minutes + other minutes) ÷ 60 ÷ (1 − buffer) + hours you cannot work. Spare hours = hours until winds − hours to set aside. The 48 and 36 hour figures are how far ahead NHC says it issues a hurricane watch and warning. This planner does not forecast storms or say when to leave. If officials order an evacuation, leave immediately.
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Why the 48 and 36 hour marks matter
The National Hurricane Center says a hurricane watch is issued 48 hours, and a warning 36 hours, before the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds, because preparations become difficult once those winds arrive. Shutters are only one item in that window. Use the planner to see how much of it your house takes.
Hurricane season timeline
What the official terms mean for this planner
On phones, each row is shown with its column labels.
| Term | What the source says | How to use it here |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane watch | Hurricane conditions are possible. NHC issues it 48 hours before the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds. | Enter 48 hours, or less if you start later. |
| Hurricane warning | Hurricane conditions are expected. NHC issues it 36 hours before the anticipated onset of tropical-storm-force winds. | Enter 36 hours, or less if you start later. |
| Earliest Reasonable Arrival Time | NHC's graphic marks the time before which there is no more than a 1-in-10 (10 percent) chance of the onset of sustained tropical-storm-force winds, and describes the period before it as the one for finishing preparations if you have a low tolerance for risk. | The cautious choice for the hours-until-winds box. |
| Most Likely Arrival Time | NHC describes it as the time before or after which onset is equally likely, for people willing to risk not finishing preparations. | NHC describes it for people willing to risk not finishing preparations. It is not a safe finish line for shutter work. |
| Evacuation order | Ready.gov says to evacuate immediately if you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and local officials tell you to. | Leave. The planner no longer applies. |
A suggested order of work once a watch is issued
Check official sources first
Read the latest NHC advisory and your local officials' instructions. Note whether an evacuation is ordered for your zone.
Decide who closes what
Confirm who will close each opening and in what order. Start with the openings that are hardest to reach.
Gather keys, cranks and panels
Bring everything needed to close and lock each system to one place before you start.
Close, lock and tick off
Work through your opening list. Use your own practice time to judge progress.
Do the rest of your list
Ready.gov includes bringing in outside furniture and clearing drains and gutters among ways to strengthen a home. Add your own items and the minutes for them.
Final walk and leave when told
Check each opening, then follow your household and official plan. These steps are our planning suggestions, not NHC guidance.
Sources
Reviewed 2026-10-14
- NOAA NHC glossary: watch and warning definitions
Watch 48 hours and warning 36 hours before tropical-storm-force winds.
- NOAA NHC: about NHC graphics
Earliest Reasonable Arrival Time and Most Likely Arrival Time.
- Ready.gov: hurricanes
Evacuation wording and home-strengthening suggestions.
Common questions
How do I time a practice run for the planner?
Close and lock every opening in calm weather exactly as you would in a storm, with the same people, and time it from the first opening to the last. Divide by the number of openings. Include fetching ladders, keys or panels.
Which time should I enter for hours until winds?
Use the arrival time from the latest National Hurricane Center advisory graphics. NHC describes the Earliest Reasonable Arrival Time as the period for finishing preparations if you have a low tolerance for risk, so it is the cautious choice.
Is 48 hours enough to close hurricane shutters?
Only your own timed practice can answer that. It depends on the number of openings, the system, access and helpers. The 48 hours is the time to tropical-storm-force winds, not to the storm, and your other tasks use part of it.
What if an evacuation order comes before I finish?
Leave. Ready.gov says that if you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and officials tell you to evacuate, do so immediately. Unfinished shutters are not a reason to stay.
Can the planner tell me whether a storm will hit Galveston?
No. It does not forecast anything. It only does arithmetic on the hours and minutes you enter, so check the National Hurricane Center and local officials for the actual forecast.