TL;DR: Older adults should build one written plan for staying home and one for evacuating, line up a small help team, sign up for local alerts, and keep medications, equipment backups, and easy-open food and water ready.

Why older adults face higher disaster risk

Dozens of separate weather-related events costing $1 billion each strike the United States each year, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA) in “What Older Adults Can Do If Disaster Strikes.”

NCOA reported that as many as 27 separate disasters costing at least $1 billion each struck the United States in 2024. Those were weather-related events including flooding, hurricanes, wildfires, and winter storms.

Such emergencies put certain older adults at particular risk due to mobility limitations, hearing or vision loss, chronic conditions, and more, according to NCOA.

Poor air quality can make certain existing health conditions worse, according to NCOA. Mobility issues can make leaving home safely much more challenging. Being homebound without adequate support can leave people without food, prescription medicines, and other vital necessities.

Recent U.S. experience shows unexpected pairings can occur. According to NCOA, New York City faced wildfire smoke and San Antonio faced sleet, with both events happening within the past few years.

Other events can happen anywhere at any time, according to NCOA, including the 2021 Champlain Towers collapse in Miami, Florida and the widespread power outages in Texas that same year.

Natural and human-caused disasters can lead to loss of life, bereavement, trauma, injury, illness, and displacement, according to NCOA.

For older adults and people with disabilities, preparation can be especially important when severe weather could affect mobility, medical equipment, medications, or caregiver support, according to the Community Living Campaign in “Get Ready for a Wet Winter: Emergency Preparedness for Seniors and People with Disabilities.”

That California-focused guidance warned that a wetter-than-normal winter may be ahead for California, making now a good time to prepare for heavy rain, flooding, and power outages. Federal forecasters say a very strong El Niño is likely this winter, raising the odds of a wetter-than-normal winter along the California coast. The heaviest storms are expected roughly from December through March. Seasonal forecasts are not guarantees, but it is much easier to prepare while the weather is calm than when a major storm is approaching, according to the Community Living Campaign.

Anticipate: learn your local risks

Find disasters most likely where you live

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a local search page for this purpose, according to NCOA. People can type a ZIP code into the box at the top of the page to learn about past declared disasters, emergency response resources, and disaster recovery centers specific to the area.

The Red Cross also publishes a searchable map of common disasters by region, according to NCOA.

Learn emergencies that can affect anyone

No matter where people live, the Red Cross advises preparing for floods, heat waves, power outages, thunderstorms, winter storms, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear emergencies (CBRNEs), according to NCOA.

Some emergencies, as learned with COVID-19, may require staying home, or “shelter in place,” according to NCOA. Others, such as a hurricane or flood, may mean evacuating quickly.

National Preparedness Month happens annually in September, according to NCOA. Having a plan in place for when disaster strikes is a good idea all year long.

Ask response questions before disaster

NCOA advises thinking about how to respond to each specific situation and considering what resources and assistance would be needed to shelter in place or evacuate.

NCOA lists questions to consider: whether there is adequate food and safe drinking water, whether there is a two-week supply of prescription medications, whether a “go-bag” is packed with basic essentials, where exits are and whether they are clear, whether there is gas in the car or quick access to alternate transportation, where to go if leaving the house, how to contact loved ones if communication systems go offline, and what will happen to pets.

NCOA also advises being proactive by assembling an at-home emergency preparedness kit, learning the locations of nearby emergency shelters, and writing down the names and numbers of trusted emergency contacts.

For household risks tied to health and mobility, the Community Living Campaign advises thinking about risks specific to the home and personal needs. People living on the ground floor or in a basement should consider what they would do if the neighborhood floods.

People who rely on an elevator should know where they could go if it stops working, according to the Community Living Campaign. People who use a wheelchair, walker, oxygen, or other equipment should plan how they would leave home with the equipment needed.

Create two written plans and practice them

Create, communicate, and practice a plan, according to NCOA. That means making one plan for staying at home and one plan for evacuating, with written steps for each situation.

If staying at home, NCOA says to include the location of emergency survival supplies, how to let loved ones know about safety, where to call if food, medicine, or other necessities run out, and what to do if power goes out.

If evacuating, NCOA says to include how to get out of the home, when to leave, where to go, how to get there, and who is involved.

Practicing a plan can give confidence and help prevent stress-related mistakes in the heat of the moment, according to NCOA. Even if the plan is never needed, a well thought-out emergency plan can offer a sense of control and reduce fear of the unknown.

NCOA summarizes action during an event as checking news and emergency alerts for updates, choosing the appropriate parts of the plan to activate, and following those steps as practiced.

Afterward, NCOA summarizes assessment as accessing vital relief programs, relying on local experts for help, and beingware of scams.

Sign up for alerts and build a help team

Sign up for emergency alerts, according to NCOA and the Community Living Campaign.

San Francisco residents can sign up for AlertSF by texting their ZIP code to 888-777, according to the Community Living Campaign. The same source advises asking a family member, caregiver, or neighbor to sign up as well so someone else receives the same information.

Storm information and preparedness tips can be found at SF72.org, according to the Community Living Campaign.

The Community Living Campaign advises identifying two or three people who can check on an older adult during and after a storm. Those people might be neighbors, relatives, friends, or caregivers.

Consider giving someone trusted a spare key or door code, and agree ahead of time to check in by phone or text after each major storm, according to the Community Living Campaign.

Important information to write down and keep close includes Help Team contacts, doctor and pharmacy contacts, medical needs and equipment, allergies and medications, according to the Community Living Campaign.

Important numbers listed by the Community Living Campaign are 911 for emergencies, 311 for City services and flood reports, 888-777 for AlertSF registration, 1-800-743-5000 for PG&E outages and medical needs, and SF72.org for storm preparedness information.

Emergency preparedness is also about looking out for one another, according to the Community Living Campaign. Before and after a storm, people should check on older adults and neighbors with disabilities. A phone call, text, or knock on the door can make a big difference.

The Community Living Campaign also offers an Emergency Preparedness for Seniors and People with Disabilities flyer with important phone numbers and a fill-in emergency card for recording a Help Team, doctor or pharmacy, medical needs, equipment, allergies, and medications.

Prepare for power outages tied to medical needs

If using oxygen, a CPAP, a power wheelchair, a lift, refrigerated medicine, or other equipment that depends on electricity, talk with a doctor and equipment provider about backup power before a storm, according to the Community Living Campaign.

People can also call PG&E at 1-800-743-5000 to ask about medical-needs programs and outage assistance, including the Medical Baseline Program, according to the Community Living Campaign.

When storms are forecast, fully charge phones, hearing-aid batteries, and power banks, according to the Community Living Campaign. During an outage, use flashlights instead of candles. Never touch a downed power line and call 911.

Pack a stay-ready kit near the door

Keep an emergency kit somewhere easy to reach, ideally near the door, according to the Community Living Campaign. The kit should reflect individual health and mobility needs.

For health and mobility, the Community Living Campaign advises considering seven days of medications and a written list of doses, extra glasses, hearing-aid batteries, and dentures, spare cane or walker tips or a wheelchair repair kit, an insulin cooler or ice packs if needed, and copies of insurance information and important doctor phone numbers.

Basic supplies listed by the Community Living Campaign include water and easy-open food for several days, a flashlight and battery-powered radio, a rain poncho, warm blanket and dry socks, cash in small bills, and a phone charger and power bank. The same source advises remembering food and supplies for a pet or service animal.

Get ready before a big storm

Do not wait until rain begins to make final preparations, according to the Community Living Campaign.

San Francisco residents can obtain free sandbags from the Public Works Operations Yard at 2323 Cesar Chavez Street, according to the Community Living Campaign. People should check with San Francisco Public Works for current hours and limits. People who cannot lift or transport sandbags should ask someone on their Help Team to pick them up.

If safe, clear leaves from the storm drain near the home or ask a neighbor for help, according to the Community Living Campaign. Bring loose objects inside from balconies and porches, and stock up on food and medication before the storm arrives.

Know what to do during and after severe weather

Stay home during severe weather if possible, and avoid walking or driving through flooded streets, according to the Community Living Campaign.

If water enters the home, move to a higher floor, according to the Community Living Campaign. Call 911 for danger or needed medical assistance. Report flooding, clogged drains, and sewer backups to 311, through SF311.org, or through the 311 app.

Avoid touching floodwater, which can become contaminated with sewage, according to the Community Living Campaign. Once the storm has passed, contact the Help Team and report how conditions are.

Sources referenced