UNITED STATES—Dear Toni, My parents went into a local independent living facility, and I have received an email from the facility’s executive director with information detailing how to draw up an emergency evacuation plan. The executive director asked that those living in the facility submit a personal “Emergency Evacuation Plan” by June 1 because that is when hurricane season” begins for America.
We need your guidance to prepare an emergency evacuation plan to submit to the executive director. Thanks, Toni. –Andy from Beaumont, Texas.
Hello Andy: Monday, June 1 is when the 2026 hurricane season begins nationwide and it does not end until Monday, November 30. As America gets deeper into the season, the storms can get stronger. No one expects life to change in an instant, but it can.
Everyone in a position to be affected should have a family emergency evacuation plan for hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other disasters. A plan is crucial for the elderly or those who are disabled, that are dependent on different types of medical needs or assistance such as kidney dialysis, oxygen, wheelchairs, walkers, etc., for their life support or ongoing medical treatment.
Below are a few questions to help you to prepare for designing your family’s emergency evacuation plan for any type of an emergency, disaster, or hurricane/tornado:
- Do I stay or go? This will depend on where you live. If you live in a city or other highly populated area, leave early. During past storms such as Beryl in the Houston area, people were caught in massive traffic jams, waiting on the highway for hours or days to evacuate. Leaving early will help you avoid serious delays and avoid running out of gas while stuck in traffic.
- a) Make sure you have a sufficient supply of prescriptions and always bring a list of current prescriptions for elderly family members and yourself.
- b) Have a copy of medical records for those with critical medical conditions. Keep the medical records in a safe place that you can get to immediately when evacuating.
- d) Include all legal documents such as Medical Power of Attorney and Living Will.
- c) Have a backup plan in case you are out of town during an emergency, so other family members can help take over the proper care for your elderly or disabled loved ones.
- Do I have access to clean water? If you do not have access to clean water, then any crisis becomes critical within a few days. Remember, you may not have access to a grocery store, or, even if you do, its supplies may be depleted. Start stocking up on bottled water.
- Do I have an adequate food supply? Most households have a few days of food already available, but the best way to stock up on additional food and supplies is to add a little bit extra each week. Remember that during an emergency, the power may be out, so cook your frozen and refrigerated food first. Have extra propane tanks for a gas grill available.
- Do I have enough cash on hand? Keep your parents or your current checkbook with you in case you run out of cash and the ATMs are not operating.
- Does my family know where to meet? It is important that all family members and loved ones know where to meet in a disaster.
After Hurricane Beryl devastated the Houston area on July 8, 2024, Texans learned that we cannot take storms and natural disasters lightly. Limited access to essential supplies such as water, groceries and baby formula affected us. I personally lost power for over a week and had to stay at my son’s house, sleeping on the couch because he did have power. What a true blessing!
Questions? Contact the Toni Says Medicare team at info@tonisays.com or call (832) 519-8664 for assistance or to answer Medicare questions. Sign up for the Toni Says newsletter at www.tonisays.com to download Toni’s new Medicare 2026 First Steps guide.
