News

Emergency Planning Tips

August 29, 2023

Get Informed

• Know what disasters could affect your area, which ones could call for an evacuation and when to shelter in place.
• Keep a NOAA Weather Radio tuned to your local emergency station and monitor TV and radio. Follow mobile alerts and warnings about severe weather in your area.
• Download the FEMA App and get weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States.

Make a Plan

In the event of a disaster could you make it on your own for several days? After a disaster you may not have access to a medical facility or even a drugstore. It’s crucial to plan for your daily needs and know what you would do if they become limited or unavailable. Additional planning steps include:

• Create a support network of people who can help you in a disaster. Keep a contact list in a watertight container in your emergency kit or on your electronic devices.
• Inform your support network where you keep your emergency supplies. You may want to consider giving a trusted member a key to your house or apartment.
• Plan ahead for accessible transportation that you may need for evacuation or getting around during or after disaster. Check with local transit providers as well as with your emergency management agency to identify appropriate accessible options.
• If you are on dialysis or other life-sustaining medical treatment know the location and availability of more than one facility that can help you.
• If you use medical equipment in your home that requires electricity, talk to your doctor or health care provider about what you may be able to do to keep it running during a power outage. You can also ask your power provider to put you on a list for priority power restoration.
• About half of all Americans take a prescription medicine every day. An emergency can make it difficult for them to refill their prescription or to find an open pharmacy. Organize and protect your prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, and vitamins to prepare for an emergency.

• Wear medical alert tags or bracelets.

Build a Kit

In addition to having your basic survival supplies, an emergency kit should have items to meet your individual needs in various emergencies. Consider the items you use every day and which ones you may need to add to your kit.

• Several days supply of prescription medicines
• A list of all medications, dosage and any allergies
• Extra eyeglasses, contacts, hearing aids and batteries
• A backup supply of oxygen
• A list of the style and serial number of medical devices (include special instructions for operating your equipment if needed)
• Copies of insurance and Medicare cards
• Contact information for doctors, relatives or friends who should be notified if you are hurt
• Pet food, extra water, collar with ID tag, medical records and other supplies for your service or support animal
• If you have a communication disability consider carrying printed cards or storing information on your devices to inform first responders and others how to communicate with you.
• If you use assistive technologies, plan how you will evacuate with the devices or how you will replace equipment if lost or destroyed.
• Plan for children and adults who may have difficulty in unfamiliar or chaotic environments. Consider your service or support animal or pets and plan for food, water and supplies. If you need to evacuate, you’ll need to know whether your shelter allows pets or not, since some shelters only allow service or support animals.

Tips for Medications

• Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how you can create an emergency supply of medicines.
• Keep a list of your prescription medicines. Include information about your diagnosis, dosage, frequency, medical supply needs and allergies.
• Store extra nonprescription drugs, like pain and fever relievers, antihistamines and antidiarrheal medicines.
• Have a cooler and chemical ice packs available to chill medicines that need to be refrigerated.

Tips for People Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

• Weather radio (with text display and a flashing alert)
• Extra hearing-aid batteries
• Pen and paper (in case you have to communicate with someone who does not know sign language)
• Battery operated lantern to enable communication by sign language or lip reading, especially when the electricity is out and it’s dark.

Tips for People Who are Blind or Have Low Vision

• Mark emergency supplies with Braille labels or large print. Keep a list of your emergency supplies and where you bought them on a portable flash drive or make an audio file that is kept in a safe place where you can access it.
• Keep communication devices for your particular needs, such as a Braille or deaf-blind communications device as part of your emergency supply kit.

Tips for People with Speech Disability

• If you use an augmentative communications device or other assistive technologies plan how you will evacuate with the devices or how you will replace equipment if it is lost or destroyed. Keep model information and note where the equipment came from (Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance, etc.).
• Plan how you will communicate with others if your equipment is not working, including laminated cards with phrases and/or pictogram.

Tips for People with a Mobility Disability

• If you use a power wheelchair have a lightweight manual chair available as a backup if possible.
• Show others how to assemble, disassemble and operate your wheelchair.
• Purchase an extra battery for a power wheelchair or other battery-operated medical or assistive technology devices. If you can’t purchase an extra battery, find out what agencies, organizations or local charitable groups can help you buy one. Keep extra batteries charged at all times.
• Consider keeping a patch kit or can of sealant for flat tires and/or extra inner tube if wheelchair or scooter is not puncture proof.
• Keep an extra mobility device such as a cane or walker if you use one.
• Keep a portable air pump for wheelchair tires.
• If you use a seat cushion to protect your skin or maintain your balance and you must evacuate, consider keeping an extra cushion on hand.
• Communicate with neighbors who can assist you if you need to evacuate the building.

Back to News