SolveYourProblem Article Series: Hurricanes
Hurricane Facts, Tips and Safety Protocols

Hurricane Evacuation Plans for Seniors and Disabled People

Hurricane evacuations are often a study in controlled chaos. Many variables must be considered, such as the strength of the hurricane, which direction the storm is moving, how large the storm is, and when to order an evacuation. Once an evacuation is ordered, emergency officials have to decide where it is safe to set up shelters, how far inland an evacuation order should go, whether or not traffic should be reversed to head out of town on both sides of the highway, and how much of the coastline should be included in the evacuation. When families are told to evacuate, they must decide where they are going, which route to take, and when to leave. Deciding all of these factors is challenging enough to for someone who has their health and all their facilities in tact, but what about seniors and disabled people who may not have the means or the transportation to get out the way of a hurricane? What happens to them?

In the wake of the death and destruction of Hurricane Katrina, the question of evacuations became a central topic for emergency planners. Many people who died during that storm and in its horrific aftermath were people who either financially or physically could not make it out of harm’s way. Since then, state and local emergency officials in all hurricane prone areas examined and refined their plans for getting all people out of areas for which evacuations have been ordered, including seniors and people with disabilities. Each state and county has their procedures in place to tackle this problem, but there are some shared factors across all areas.

The first thing emergency officials have made sure to secure is adequate transportation. Most counties have deals with the school district to use school buses to transport seniors and disabled people out of at risk areas. These plans usually have a number of steps, depending on the size and severity of a storm. If an evacuation is issued for just a small, immediately coastal region, then only a small number of buses are activated. For larger, county wide evacuations, more buses become available through the school district, and even neighboring school districts. If the evacuation covers several counties, inland school districts may be called upon to loan buses for the evacuation process as well.

The same goes for shelters. Many schools are designated disaster relief shelters, which become operational when evacuation orders are issued. Only some shelters are equipped to deal with disabled people, though, so it pays to know in advance which shelters these are. In the case of a mass evacuation, some shelters may be designated for disabled and senior use exclusively.

For seniors and disabled people who reside in assisted living facilities, your facility should have a pre-set plan of action to implement in case an evacuation is ordered for your area. This plan should include provisions for transportation, accommodation, and adequate medical care. You and your family members should question the facility about their plan well in advance of any hurricane watches or warnings.

The fact of the matter is, however, that emergency officials can only do so much to help. Neighbors have to take an interest in the plight of the elderly and disabled people living around them. If there are people in your area that need assistance, check in with them when an evacuation is issued and see if they need help leaving the area or getting the medication they need to carry them through the aftermath of the storm. At the very least, alert officials to anyone in your area who may be at risk.

Emergencies and disasters can happen anytime, anywhere without warning. Protect yourself and your family. Click to see valuable emergency preparedness supplies and information. Be ready. Be prepared. I love this website. It's my SolveYourProblem recommendation.

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by SolveYourProblem.com : 2007

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