John Prekosovich, left, and Joel Canales loads a portable generator into a customer’s vehicle at a Home Depot store in Houston. This weekend, portable generators are tax-free as part of the state’s Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday.
Brett Coomer/Staff photographer
Texans can skip sales taxes on hurricane preparation supplies this weekend only, with just six weeks left until the Gulf Coast kicks the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season on June 1.
The state’s Emergency Preparation Supplies Sales Tax Holiday, which runs Saturday and Sunday, allows shoppers to stock up on key emergency items without paying state or local sales tax.
This upcoming hurricane season, a highly regarded forecast from researchers at Colorado State University has projected a slightly below-average season with 13 named storms, including six hurricanes and two major hurricanes. The estimate was influenced largely by a developing El Niño, a climate pattern that can suppress storm formation in the Atlantic Ocean.
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Still, a quieter season on paper doesn’t eliminate the tropical cyclone threat to Southeast Texas.
It’s best to acquire supplies now, when they’re in stock, and not when a storm is coming. Past storms in the Houston area have shown how emergency essentials such as batteries, flashlights and electric generators can quickly disappear from store shelves when a tropical cyclone enters the Gulf of Mexico.
Even in less active years, a single storm can bring flooding, power outages and widespread disruption.
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Which hurricane supplies are tax-free this weekend?
During the two-day window, Texans can purchase a range of emergency supplies tax-free, as long as they fall within state price limits.
The most common qualifying items include:
Portable generators priced under $3,000.
Hurricane shutters and emergency ladders under $300.
Batteries, flashlights and fuel containers under $75.
Other eligible items include radios, first-aid kits, fire extinguishers and coolers — staples of most home emergency kits. Also these items, each for $75 or less, can qualify: axes, non-electric can openers, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and tarps and other plastic sheeting.
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There’s no limit on how many qualifying items you can buy, and the exemption is applied automatically at checkout.
For many Houston residents, the biggest value comes from stocking up on smaller essentials, especially batteries and backup lighting — items that are often overlooked until the power goes out.
Which purchases don’t qualify for the tax break?
Not every hurricane-related purchase qualifies. The state excludes items such as cleaning supplies, medical masks and gloves, along with equipment like chainsaws, plywood and camping gear. Automobile and boat batteries are also not eligible.
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Gigi Hlavink unloads gas cans and other supplies at a Home Depot store in Houston. Gas cans and other hurricane season preparedness items are tax-free this weekend.
Brett Coomer/Staff photographer
Online orders can qualify for the exemption, but there’s a catch: Shipping and handling costs count toward the total price. If those extra charges push an item over the price cap, the entire purchase becomes taxable.
Even with fewer storms expected overall, the risk to Texas remains notable, with about a 1-in-5 chance of a major hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast this year. That’s why emergency officials emphasize using moments like this, before anything is brewing in the Gulf, to get ready.
The weekend tax break offers one of the last chances to stock up at a discount before the season begins and before a storm sends last-minute shoppers scrambling for the same supplies.
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