Preparing for Hurricane Season

Families with a child who uses a ventilator, oxygen or other specialized medical equipment have special needs especially during an emergency. While it’s important to plan for emergencies year-round, hurricane season can bring extra challenges.

Hurricane season in Florida runs from June 1 to Nov. 30. Whether it’s a potential power loss or evacuation, we’ve included resources to help your family plan. If you have questions regarding how your child’s individual condition or your family’s unique circumstances might impact how you plan for a hurricane or other emergency, your child’s care team can discuss these concerns with you.

Some things you can do to be prepared for a hurricane include:

Make a plan: Use the Florida Division of Emergency Management's Family Disaster Plan resources to create your own personalized disaster plan. Learn about your community disaster plans and all warning systems that are in place.

Know your zone: Make sure you know your home evacuation zone and have a plan in case you need to leave. A friend or family member’s house with a sturdy structure in a non-evacuation zone may be a good option. Ready.gov is a helpful planning website. 

Register for a special needs shelter: Each county has a registry for individuals with special needs who require shelter or transportation assistance. You can register at Florida Special Needs Registry or through your county Emergency Management website. Registration must be done ahead of time. As a backup plan, please consider registering before hurricane season even if you have a primary shelter location identified. Check FloridaDisaster.org to find your county’s emergency management information. 

Be prepared with your child’s durable medical equipment (DME): Discuss with the company that provides your child’s DME their emergency preparedness protocol and what they can offer for backup supplies. Label all necessary medical equipment and attach instructions for their use in case you need to go to a shelter.

Electricity: Reach out to your utility company to see if they offer a Medically Essential program. These programs typically, when possible, provide advance notification of when your service may be interrupted.

Make sure you have enough of your child’s medications: Under a state of emergency, you can contact your pharmacy for an early refill. Keep a seven-day supply of any prescription or non-prescription medications on hand. (Florida law allows you to obtain a 30-day refill of prescription medications if you reside in a county that is under a hurricane warning, a state of emergency declared by the governor, or has activated its Emergency Operations Center.) Consider ways you can keep refrigerated medications cold if needed.

Prepare important documents: Create a document with all your child’s current health information, including medical conditions, doctors, insurance policy numbers, hospital preferences, list of all medications, etc. Keep copies of all important documents and records in a safety deposit box or other secure offsite location. Make a record of your possessions (in writing, photos or video) in the event of loss or damage.

Prepare an emergency kit: Collect your emergency equipment early. Have at least a 3-day supply of bottled water (one gallon per day per person in your family) and non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food. Fill up your car’s gas tank in advance.

An emergency kit should include items such as:

• Battery-powered flashlights/lanterns/radios
• Extra sets of batteries
• First aid kit
• Fully charged cell phone with extra battery
• Duct tape, garbage bags and scissors
• Fire extinguisher
• Insect repellent
• Heavy insulated gloves
• Manual can opener
• Generator (if required, but operate outside only)

FloridaDisaster.org provides more information and resources on making a plan for your family, including a suggested supplies checklist.

Take advantage of sales tax holidays for supplies: Check FloridaDisaster.org for dates – usually before and during hurricane season – and useful tips to help prepare your home and make an evacuation plan.

Have safety devices in place: Be sure that everyone in the household knows where your fire extinguishers are located and how to use them. Keep the shut-off switch for oxygen equipment easily accessible in the event of a fire. Have properly working smoke alarms on every level of your home.

You can also download this handout on hurricane preparedness, which includes many of these key suggestions for families, to serve as a helpful reminder.