How to prep for a hurricane if you or a family member has disabilities, special needs

C. A. Bridges, USA TODAY NETWORK - Florida
·5 min read

Hurricane preparation is stressful for everyone, and the more preparation you can do ahead of time, the easier things will go if you have to deal with flooding, loss of power or even evacuation. If you have issues with sight, hearing or mobility, planning ahead is vital and potentially life-saving.

While Hurricane Lee seems forecast to give Florida a miss, such a powerful storm spinning up so quickly should remind you to get everything in order for the storm that does hit us.

Some things everyone should do, according to FEMA:

  • Create an emergency kit. All Florida residents should be prepared with nonperishable food, water, batteries, first-aid supplies and protected important documents, but anyone with special needs also needs to include assistive devices, backup power for medical equipment, contact information for doctors, caregivers and specialists and more. Keep your health records electronically stored in the cloud or on a flash drive, or both.

  • Get your support network ready. Get in touch with people who can assist you; family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, local care centers. Make sure that trusted people are aware of your situation and needs.

  • Make evacuation plans. Arrange ahead of time how to get transportation to evacuate or get to a medical clinic. Know what evacuation zone you live in and where you should go.

  • Contact your local power company. In some areas, customers with medical devices that require electricity will be prioritized for power restoration. Call your provider and ask to be put on the list.

  • Register for the special needs shelter in your county. Contact your county's special needs shelter to reserve a spot in case you're forced to evacuate. Registration is important; medical staff is allocated to the shelters according to the number of people who register and their medical needs. You must re-register every year. Check your local county for registration dates.

  • Have backup locations for needed medical procedures. Know the location and availability of more than one facility for any life-sustaining treatments you need, such as dialysis.

  • Wear medical alert tags or bracelets. If you have a mobile phone, add your medical information to the ID screen.

  • Make sure you have a way to communicate. If you have a communications disability, determine the best way others can communicate with you and a way to let them know.

  • Don't forget your service animal. If you have a service animal, be sure to include food, water, identification tags, a leash, and supplies.

  • Sign up for the Florida Special Needs Registry. The Florida Special Needs Registry works with your local emergency department agency to get you faster assistance during a disaster by providing first responders with your information.

  • Be aware. We often have from several days to a couple of weeks of warning before a dangerous storm threatens. Pay attention to local news, get notifications from your phone's weather alerts, or check the National Hurricane Center for the latest updates.

How should I prepare for a hurricane if I'm deaf or hard of hearing?

People with hearing issues should make sure they have a weather radio with a text display and a flashing alert, plus extra batteries. You would also want to stock up on extra hearing-aid batteries, if needed, and have a TTY (text telephone) device to send text messages over phone lines if you don't already have a phone with that capability.

You also should keep pen and paper handy in case you must communicate with someone who does not know sign language, and consider a waterproof pen and pad in case flooding occurs. Keep laminated phrase/pictogram cards in your emergency kit in case your devices aren't working and you need to communicate with emergency personnel.

How should I prepare for a hurricane if I'm blind or have low vision?

Mark your emergency supplies with Braille labels or large print. Keep a list of your emergency supplies on a portable flash drive or make an audio file you can keep safe, and stock an extra pair of eyeglasses if you use them.

Keep a Braille or Deaf-Blind communications device in your emergency kit, and if you use a cane consider keeping inexpensive spares or collapsible canes in different areas of your home where you can reach them in case of emergency.

How should I prepare for a hurricane if I have mobility issues and can't easily get around?

If you use a powered wheelchair, have a lightweight manual chair available as a backup and make sure it will fit through your doorways or down stairs. A collapsible one may be easier to transport. Keep an extra cane or walker or other mobility device at hand, if you use one.

If you live higher than the first floor, make sure you know how to leave your building if the elevator is inoperative.

Keep an extra battery for motorized equipment.

How should I prepare for a hurricane if I have sensory issues, such as autism?

Keep handheld electronic devices and headphones available, and a charged power pack or wall charger if you go to a shelter.

'Watching movies and playing games can help keep you focused, and headphones reduce negative auditory stimulation," according to United Disabilities Services. "Depending on the severity of your disability, you may also want to bring a small pop-up tent or sheets to decrease negative visual stimulation."

How should I prepare for a hurricane if I have speech disabilities?

Be sure to keep your assistive communications nearby and have extra batteries or a charged power pack handy, and a wall charge in case you go to a shelter.

You should also keep laminated phrase/pictogram cards in your emergency kit in case your devices aren't working and you need to communicate with emergency personnel.

You can find more information on disaster safety for people with disabilities at RedCross.org, the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled has a comprehensive list of fact sheets and tips for different situations, and Ready.gov offers emergency preparation information in multiple languages at ready.gov/disability.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Hurricane Lee preparation steps for people with special needs