Thirteen-year-old Chase is a highly observant middle school student with extensive practical survival training. After losing half his family in a car accident and weathering an economic downturn, he travels the country with his father in a truck pulling a travel trailer called "The Shack." He always carries a "go bag" filled with survival supplies and applies his emergency knowledge to evaluate threats logically.

John is a former building contractor who reinvented his life after a lightning strike and a severe economic recession. He travels the United States offering preparatory storm services to homeowners, intending to secure paid cleanup jobs after the weather passes. He requires only four hours of sleep a night and believes that fate dictates the major events in a person's life.

Nicole is a bright thirteen-year-old middle school student who lives at the winter quarters for her family's circus. She competes in swimming and actively cares for rescued animals, including lions and a leopard. She easily manages her unique surroundings and proves highly capable physically when thrown into a sudden survival situation.

Rashawn is a tall, athletic sixth-grade student who lives on a vast animal sanctuary next to the Rossi circus headquarters. Though she lacks formal emergency training, she applies her track-and-field knowledge and clear thinking to help the group push forward through the disaster.

Cindy is a former investigative journalist from San Francisco who now works as a local television reporter in Florida. Demoted after uncovering corruption at her previous station, she sees the severe storm as a chance to document a unique story and reclaim her career status.

Tomás is a master carpenter and John's extremely capable right-hand man. He supports his wife and eight children in Mexico by working tirelessly on the road. He handles heavy machinery, including driving the large rig called "The Shop," and quickly clears obstacles during the storm.

Marco is a little person who manages the Rossi Brothers' Circus winter quarters in Florida. He cares deeply for the operation, overseeing everything from housing roughnecks to washing pregnant elephants. He holds onto the memory of his father, a former circus performer, through stored memorabilia.

Momma Rossi is Nicole's grandmother and the matriarch of the Rossi property. As a little person, she maintains a kitchen customized to her height and prepares exceptional meals for guests. She trusts her own sharp intuition over official news reports when predicting the weather.

Dr. Krupp is the principal of Palm Breeze Middle School. She relies heavily on administrative rules rather than evaluating unique risks, preferring to stick to standard procedures when the storm unexpectedly accelerates toward the town.

Richard is a television weathercaster and news anchor who thrives on the attention that extreme weather brings. Despite his on-air bravado regarding the severity of the storm, he prefers the safety of dry, catered shelters over actual fieldwork.

Mark is a television videographer assigned to cover Hurricane Emily. He remains quiet and levelheaded, focusing entirely on capturing footage as the conditions deteriorate around the news crew.