HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The start of hurricane season is coming up quickly, and it’s crucial that everyone, including senior citizens, be prepared.
81-year-old Alma Williams knows the drill.
“It can come anytime, so that’s why we prepare before,” said Williams.
Taking steps before a storm hits is a top priority.
“We put our birth certificate together. We put our medication together, all the necessary things that we want,” said Williams. “We put them together. Put them in a small suitcase and keep that.”
Williams sat alongside other seniors in Hillsborough County, learning about making a plan for hurricane season, about foods to prepare, and how to organize medications in advance.
“Decide whether you’re going to stay or whether you’re going to leave,” said Tre Lawson, an Emergency Management Coordinator. “But either way, make sure you have a disaster kit together, whether it’s food, supplies, medication at home, or these same items, including clothing if you’re going to evacuate, who you’re going to be with, who you’re going to notify, and the things that you need to have prepared throughout the year.”
Lawson recommends that seniors make a plan and practice it so that they can make changes if something goes wrong.
“Our seniors tend to wait to the last minute, so we’re trying to make sure that we encourage them to start planning now,” said Lawson.
Noemi Santana also listened and learned, sharing a tip to keep important papers together so they’re easy to find when you need them.
“Your thoughts sometimes aren’t as quick, so if you have things prepared and together ahead of time, that makes life easier when something, God forbid, strikes,” said Santana.
And if you have an aging family member at home, check in with them and help them get ready for whatever could come our way.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
