Hurricane and Emergency Preparedness for Floridians With Hearing Loss
When the power goes out, so do the chargers, the captioned phone and the TV captions. Plan now: register with Florida's Special Needs Registry if you need help, set up alerts you can see and feel, and pack a hearing kit that lasts seven days.
Do these before hurricane season
- Know your evacuation zone with Florida's Know Your Zone map and decide now where you would go.
- Register with the Florida Special Needs Registry if you would need help evacuating, sheltering or keeping medical equipment powered.
- Sign up for your county's emergency alerts by text, and set your phone's Wireless Emergency Alerts to vibrate and flash.
- Apply to FTRI for a visual or vibrating ring signaler and ask about alerting options for your phone.
- Build a seven-day hearing kit (below) and put a copy of your Communication Access Plan in it.
- Tell your county emergency management office and your neighbors that you cannot hear a knock, a siren or a loudspeaker.
Sources: FloridaDisaster.org: Plan and prepare · FloridaDisaster.org: County emergency management
Florida Special Needs Registry
The Florida Special Needs Registry lets people with special needs register with their local emergency management agency to receive assistance during a disaster. It was developed by the Florida Department of Health with county health departments and local emergency management. Florida's Division of Emergency Management recommends it for people who need electricity for medical equipment, transportation help to evacuate, or help with medications. Hearing loss alone may not qualify you for a special needs shelter, but registering tells your county that you need accessible communication, and it is the way to ask about transportation and shelter options.
Register online: choose your county from the list, create an account and submit your information. Your county emergency management office receives it and will contact you about evacuation and sheltering plans. Update it each year and whenever your address, devices or contacts change.
Sources: Florida Special Needs Registry · FloridaDisaster.org: Access and functional needs planning
Alerts you can see and feel
- Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone: keep them on, and set the phone to vibrate and flash for alerts overnight.
- County alert systems: every Florida county offers text or app alerts; find yours through the FloridaDisaster.org county directory. AlertFlorida and the Florida Storms app are statewide options.
- FTRI alerting equipment: Florida residents with certified hearing loss can get audible and visual ring signalers at no cost, and FTRI's specialized equipment can help you know when a call comes in during an emergency.
- Smoke and CO alarms: ask your local fire department about strobe or bed-shaker alarms; some Florida fire departments and Lions clubs run free programs, and FAAST lends alerting devices so you can try one.
- Captions: keep a battery-powered or phone-based way to get captioned news. TV captions vanish with the power; a phone with a charged battery pack and a local news app or FloridaStorms.org does not.
FTRI: Equipment and solutions · FAAST: Short-term device loans
Your seven-day hearing kit
Florida recommends a disaster supply kit with at least seven days of supplies tailored to your needs. For hearing loss, add the following to the standard list of water, food, medications and documents.
- Hearing aid batteries: two weeks' worth, in a dry container. Rechargeable users: the charger, a fully charged USB power bank, and a car charger.
- Cochlear implant users: spare processor if you have one, spare batteries and cables, the drying kit, and the manufacturer's support number written down.
- A dehumidifier jar or drying capsules; Florida humidity after a storm is brutal on hearing devices.
- A waterproof case or zip bag for devices when you are moving through rain or flood water.
- Pen, paper and a whiteboard marker for communicating with shelter staff and neighbors.
- A printed Communication Access Plan and a card that says I am hard of hearing; please face me and write things down.
- A phone with a captioning app installed and tested, plus a backup contact who can relay information by text.
- Copies of prescriptions, insurance cards, your audiogram and your hearing device serial numbers.
At a shelter
- Tell staff at check-in that you cannot hear announcements and ask to be told in person or in writing. Ask for a cot near the information desk.
- Ask whether the shelter has a way to charge devices and whether it has captioning for announcements or a TTY; general shelters must provide effective communication under the ADA.
- Keep your devices on you, not in a bag on the floor. Sleep with your phone on vibrate under your pillow.
- Pair with a neighbor or another evacuee who will tap you for announcements.
After the storm
- Dry your devices every night; if one gets wet, remove the battery and dry it before using it.
- Contractors and FEMA representatives will come to the door. Ask them to write down names, license numbers and what they are offering, and check contractor licenses with the Florida DBPR before paying anyone.
- Expect noise: generators and chainsaws can damage remaining hearing. Wear earplugs when you are near them.
- Check on other members. Chapters have a phone or text tree; make sure you are on it.
Emergency preparedness questions
Should someone with hearing loss register for Florida's Special Needs Registry?
Yes, if you would need help evacuating, getting to a shelter or keeping equipment powered, and it does no harm to register otherwise. The registry, run by the Florida Department of Health with county emergency management, is how your county learns that you need accessible communication and transportation help. Register online at snr.flhealthresponse.com, choose your county and update it each year.
How will I know about a hurricane warning if I cannot hear sirens or the TV?
Use alerts you can see and feel: Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone set to vibrate and flash, your county's text alert system, and the statewide AlertFlorida and Florida Storms apps. Keep captioned news on your phone with a charged power bank, since TV captions disappear with the power. FTRI provides visual ring signalers at no cost to Floridians with certified hearing loss.
How many hearing aid batteries should I keep for hurricane season?
Florida recommends a seven-day supply kit; for hearing aids, keep at least two weeks of disposable batteries in a dry container, because stores may be closed longer than expected. Rechargeable users should keep a fully charged USB power bank, the charger and a car charger, and charge everything the day a watch is issued. Cochlear implant users should pack spare batteries, cables and a drying kit.
Can I get a free smoke alarm for the hearing impaired in Florida?
Sometimes. Ask your local fire department first; many Florida departments install smoke alarms and some have strobe or bed-shaker models for residents with hearing loss. Lions clubs and other local charities occasionally run programs. FAAST lends alerting devices at no cost so you can try one before buying, and FTRI provides visual and audible signalers for phone calls.
Help us reach members before the next storm
HLAA-FL chapters keep phone and text trees for members. Volunteer to help build yours, or tell us what your county did well or badly last season.