Hurricane Evacuation – Staying in Local Shelters
Know What Supplies are Permitted and Prepare for Crowded Conditions
Apr 13, 2009
Hurricane shelters open doors to the public as the need demands. Schools are often used as shelters during hurricanes. Community Centers, sports arenas, and some churches may also be used to shelter residents seeking refuge. Pets are not allowed in shelters with the exception of service animals. The American Red Cross and military personnel staff the shelters with trained volunteers.
Shelters are usually open within 24 hours of the hurricane's estimated time of arrival. Public shelters are available in towns and cities far outside the immediate strike zone, especially if there is the potential for storm surge flooding and damage from high winds. Hurricanes are the strongest storms on Earth, and the cyclonic structure is massive in size and strength. Outer rain bands may extend a couple hundred miles or more from the eye of the hurricane. Damage can be extensive even in a Category 1 storm.
Take These Items to a Hurricane Shelter
- Four days' worth of clothing
- Medicine and first aid kit
- Cash, checkbook, credit cards
- Driver's license, insurance papers, birth certificates
- Personal telephone book
- Charged cell phone
- Baby items
- Bar soap and moist wipes
- Blankets, sleeping bag, or inflatable mattress
- Bottled water
- Battery-operated radio, hand-held electronics, headphones
- Canned and non-perishable foods, snacks, manual can-opener
- Glasses and personal hygiene items
- Books, travel games, quiet toys for kids
- 2 Rolls toilet paper per family member
The Red Cross, Salvation Army, and military personnel do what they can to make the temporary living conditions tolerable. Evacuees need to understand that it takes the cooperation of everyone to maintain order and peace. 400 people camping out in a school gym for two or three days with no privacy is enough to grind anyone's nerves. Children get restless and adults are anxious. Tempers grow short, soap runs out and so does toilet paper. Be prepared.
Special-Needs Shelters
Special-needs shelters are for people who require mild to moderate medical assistance – but do not require hospitalization – and who may be accompanied by a caregiver. These shelters can usually provide limited medical care and oxygen. In addition to the supplies listed above, persons with special needs should bring additional necessities.
- Dietary items
- Two-weeks' worth of medications
- Additional first aid dressings, bandages, topical medications
- A list of all prescriptions taken
- Any portable medical equipment needed such as a walker or wheelchair
- Service animal and necessary supplies
Some larger cities provide a special-needs shelter for adults as well as a designated shelter for families with special-needs children.
Hurricane shelters may not have all the comforts of home, but the structures do provide a safe haven from damaging winds and flooding. Privacy is almost non-existent and consideration for others is a must. Special-needs shelters provide limited medical assistance to evacuees, but individuals are still responsible for bringing caregivers and necessary supplies.
Hurricane preparedness is not an option when one lives in a hurricane zone, it is a survival necessity. Whether heading out of town to evacuate or staying in town to ride out the storm in a shelter, residents are encouraged to stay aware of storm possibilities and take preparation advisories seriously.
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