The best advice for anyone living in a coastal community where hurricanes pose a threat is simple and to the point: be prepared.
“The main issues are: get a kit, make a plan, and be informed,” says Victoria Melvin, American Red Cross preparedness associate. Seniors, in particular, she says, can face a host of special circumstances that require even more foresight in planning for the worst. Caregivers of older adults must consider:
- whether their loved ones’ residences are safe (If it’s an assisted living community, does it have a disaster plan in place that takes into consideration the worst-case scenario, the repercussions of a category 3, 4, or 5 hurricane?);
- what to do in the case of an evacuation, such as where to go and fail-safe transportation options for getting there;
- the possibility that their loved ones could be trapped inside their houses without power or running water for a week or longer.