Emergency Preparedness & Planning

Woman standing in front of burned out house and holding her head with both hands Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities

It is important to prepare and plan in order to handle an emergency situation effectively. To ensure that emergency responders can properly respond to your needs, many residents with special needs can register their information with their county emergency management agency or personal physician. Many counties require that this is done prior to the hurricane season so pre-register today. "If your medical condition requires that you be hospitalized during a disaster, consult with your physician about getting an authorization letter for preadmission."

- St. Petersburg Times, April 2007

Emergency Supplies and Planning

American Red Cross helps you to 'Be Red Cross Ready'

Be Red Cross Ready: Get a Kit, Make a Plan, Be Informed interactive module includes picture, audio, and video content.
Preparing for Disaster for People with Disabilities and other Special Needs

Make these items a part of your emergency kit:

Emergency Information Form for children with special needs.
Emergency Contact Card
Hurricane Preparedness Kits for Individuals with Autism: Suggested Items

Evacuation Planning

Hurricane Preparedness for Individuals with Autism

This is a guide on preparing and setting up shelters and educating staff & volunteers.

Get a Plan! FloridaDisaster.org

Florida Division of Emergency Management Family Disaster Planning website helps you create your family disaster plan as well as find emergency contacts, evacuation routes and more in your county.

Florida's Network of Shelters
Live Road Status Reports. Search road status reports by county, status, or event.
Disaster Preparedness Maps. Florida Division of Emergency Management webpage providing maps of evacuation routes and zones, storm surge zones, as well as storm surge atlases.

Weather Forecast