Florida Company Offers Private Plane Rides to Escape Hurricanes — Even for Pets

When a hurricane is heading toward Florida, millions of people scramble to get out. Roads fill up, airports get packed, and last-minute travel becomes a nightmare. A company called PriorityEvac, based in West Palm Beach, Florida, wants to change that. It is selling yearly memberships that guarantee members a seat on a private flight out of the state before a storm arrives — and pets can come along too.

PriorityEvac charges $1,250 per person each year. Couples can join for $2,400, and a family of four pays $4,400. Each membership covers up to two hurricane evacuations during the season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. The company says there are no extra fees when a storm hits — no surprise charges for activating the service or repositioning planes. Pet owners can add a small dog or cat for an extra $125, and larger pets may also be accommodated.

Here is how the service works. Before hurricane season begins, members fill out an application and sign an agreement. They are then assigned a departure airport near their home. When a storm grows strong enough to meet the company's alert levels, members get a warning through text, email, and phone call. Once the evacuation is officially triggered, members receive their departure time, airport details, and check-in instructions.

Flights take off on Airbus A320 jets and land in Atlanta, Georgia. The company chose Atlanta because it is usually outside of Florida's hurricane path. It also has one of the busiest airports in the world, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which makes it easy to connect to other cities. The Atlanta area also has plenty of hotels and transportation options. However, members are responsible for finding their own lodging and rides once they land.

The company says it spent a lot of time preparing before launching the service for the 2026 hurricane season. PriorityEvac tested its plan against 22 years of past hurricanes to make sure its system could handle moving all its members safely. The company's chief operating officer is Tim Houston, a retired U.S. Air Force colonel who once led operations at NORAD, the agency that monitors North American airspace. PriorityEvac also partners with Project Dynamo, a nonprofit group run by veterans that has helped evacuate more than 7,500 people from disasters around the world.

The company expects to serve around 5,000 members in its first year. It says interest has come from many different groups — Florida residents, families with elderly relatives, parents of college students, corporations, and even sports teams. The company says members get notified through multiple channels so no one misses the alert when it matters most.

As for the 2026 hurricane season itself, forecasters say it is expected to be less active than a normal year. Colorado State University predicts nine named storms, four hurricanes, and one major hurricane this season. That is well below the long-term average of about 14 named storms and seven hurricanes per year. So far, only two tropical storms — Arthur and Bertha — had formed as of early August, and neither became a hurricane.

Still, weather experts are warning people not to feel too safe. The busiest stretch of hurricane season runs from August through October, so more storms could develop. Michael Bell of Colorado State University put it simply: 'It takes only one storm near you to make this an active season for you.' Whether or not 2026 turns out to be a busy hurricane year, services like PriorityEvac are reminding Floridians that being prepared before a storm is always a smart idea.