May 2023
 We've updated our Hurricane Evacuation Guide from the 2020 version, and also have a BRAND NEW version that focuses on the inland impacts of a hurricane for Virginians who don't live along the immediate coast, but still have concerns over flooding and wind damage. Download them now and read more about how to prepare for hurricanes at https://www.vaemergency.gov/threats/hurricanes/.
Speaking of hurricanes -- today is May 1 -- which means that the start of Atlantic Hurricane Season is just ONE MONTH FROM TODAY! It's also National Hurricane Preparedness Week.
What can you be doing now? PREPARING! And leading by example. Show your teammates, congregation, neighbors, employees, clients or customers, the other people you interact with and serve to prepare too!
Here are a few easy ways to do that:
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Tagline quotes that you can add to your email signature block to direct readers to preparedness sources (you can link them to https://www.vaemergency.gov/threats/hurricanes/).
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Tips and key messages. These tips can be posted on bulletin boards, reinforced at meetings, and worked into talking points at public events.
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Social media, graphics, logos, banners and posters. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management will be sharing plenty of tips and resources leading up to and throughout Hurricane Season. You don't need to reinvent the wheel with your social media posts -- just share ours!
- Urge them to start on their emergency plans. It's good to have a plan, because it can help you during any emergency. "My Emergency Plan" is a great place to start, and it is now available for download on our website in English, and the other top 6 languages in Virginia. Get started today at https://www.vaemergency.gov/prepare/make-a-plan/.
 Did you know that there are disaster-related mental health support and resources available for free?
In the aftermath of a disaster, much of the immediate recovery work done by emergency managers focuses on providing safe living conditions. Local, state, and federal partners strategize to assist the communities that have been affected by providing logistical support to allocate resources to the areas that are most heavily impacted, in hopes of providing stability to impacted citizens. Yet, the work of emergency managers must also consider the needs of individuals who face further vulnerabilities.
While disasters affect everyone, its impact goes beyond environmental degradation. Disasters can often lead to an increased need for behavioral health support, as it is not uncommon for victims to experience emotional distress in the instance of a crisis. Stress, anxiety, and depression are commonly found symptoms in individuals and their families. Furthermore, these symptoms and feelings are exacerbated in persons with underlying conditions, as studies show that disasters can also be stressors for people with Alzheimer’s and Autism. Thus, in the instance of an emergency, people facing similar hardships require an outlet to find normalcy in rather confusing times.
Since its launch in February 2012, the Disaster Distress Helpline has provided counseling and support in response to disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires and the Coronavirus pandemic. The staff members provide support before, during, and after disasters while also serving to refer people to local disaster-related resources. Crises counselors are now available 24/7 to provide information on how to recognize distress and its effects on individuals and their families, and to provide tips for healthy coping. The hotline is accessible to individuals of various racial and ethnic backgrounds as it provides access to over 100 languages (although availability varies), as well as callers who may be deaf or hard of hearing, as video-call access directly available via the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) website. The hotline is on call 365-days-a-year at 1-800-985-5990, or online at https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline.
For caregivers, or individuals living with dementia, preparing for emergencies is essential as safety precautions can help tremendously in the instance of a disaster. Creating an emergency tool kit and having an evacuation plan that takes all special needs into consideration is recommended. For additional information on how to prepare for an emergency, refer to the Alzheimer’s Association’s “Preparing for Emergencies” page at https://www.alz.org/help-support/caregiving/safety/in-a-disaster.
-Negus Assefa, Community Impact Specialist
Article from the National Aging and Disability Transportation Center - https://www.nadtc.org/news/blog/accessible-public-transportation-during-disaster-a-lifeline-for-people-with-disabilities/
Guest Blogger – Tracey Shifflett serves as the Strategic Communication Specialist for the FEMA Office of Disability Integration and Coordination (ODIC). She works with agency leadership and subject matter experts, as well as disability stakeholders and interagency partners, to provide information and resources that help people with disabilities before, during and after disasters. Reach her at tracey.shifflett@fema.dhs.gov.
When a disaster is imminent, it’s a stressful time. Seconds, minutes and hours appear to move quicker. Being suddenly forced to choose between taking essentials for survival and salvaging irreplaceable family keepsakes can lead to irrational, albeit understandable, decisions. Those moments are not the best time to think through all of the necessities you need to evacuate your home and shelter in place elsewhere.
While you’re taking inventory of how much bottled water is on-hand and whether flashlights have fresh batteries — and maybe thinking about whether you should brave local stores with hope the items you need will still be on the shelves — some people face additional questions. “How many prescription refills do I have left?” or “What did I do with those insurance papers?” for example. Neither time nor a disaster will slow down or make space for preparation. Using the time before a disaster is best for devising your disaster preparedness plan.
Photo Credit: Senior Transportation Connection, Cleveland, OH
For people with disabilities and older adults, it’s also critical to consider the quickest and safest ways to mobilize. In these instances, evacuation plans typically include access to the nearest accessible public transportation hubs and routes with service to the nearest medical or care facility. Community coordination between emergency planners and transportation providers become lifelines for people who find themselves disempowered during a disaster.
“Excluding people with disabilities and older adults in emergency and evacuation planning can lead to multiple inequities once the disaster cycle begins, which can create a much longer and more difficult journey to recovery for people who might otherwise successfully recover a lot sooner,” explains FEMA Disability Coordinator and Director of Disability Integration and Coordination, Sherman Gillums, Jr. “Emergency managers should move their plans into place as quickly as possible to ensure those at higher risk of abandonment and further injury are prioritized, which lends to the resiliency of the community as a whole.”
Access to information is vital for everyone before, during and after disasters. Transportation providers should work closely with emergency response networks at the state, local, tribal and territorial levels to effectively reach people with disabilities and older adults as quickly as possible. This starts by ensuring people who use assistive aids, devices and services are informed in the following ways:
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Download the FEMA App and get weather alerts from the National Weather Service for up to five different locations anywhere in the United States.
- Follow mobile alerts and warnings about severe weather in your area.
Gillums also cautions against confusing “access” with “accessibility options” that take into account the nature of the needed access, based on individual preferences. When it comes to public transportation for these populations, providers should think beyond ramps and lifts to ensure safe, accessible transportation for people with disabilities. For example:
- Ensure safety belts and wheelchair tiedowns for safe transport and security in the event of a mishap.
- Provide individualized options that provide people with choices, such as transferring into a seat versus staying in a wheelchair or receiving the help of another person versus navigating independently using assistive aids.
- Train for public transportation drivers to safely secure a person in a wheelchair and how to assist people who are deaf or hard of hearing and blind or have low vision.
- Require effective public communication that is accessible including 508-compliant web pages, ASL interpretation for live events and multimedia on website and social media, print materials in Braille and large, easily comprehensible print.
“FEMA field teams and community partners that provide accessible transportation should make these considerations as part of disaster planning alongside people who can best articulate what they’d need to safely make it through a hurricane, tornado, earthquake or flood,” concludes Gillums. “Proactive and inclusive planning is the best way to ensure timely, targeted and relevant communication reaches people with disabilities and older adults before making them first responders in their own experiences during and after an emergency.”
In the event of a disaster could you make it on your own for several days? Now is the time for people with disabilities to think about personal disaster preparedness. Go to Individuals with Disabilities | Ready.gov for tips and information.
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