The Florida Department of Health’s Special Needs Registry is for residents who will need assistance getting to a shelter or managing their medical needs in a shelter during a disaster. Information in the Special Needs Registry provides local emergency management planners with valuable information to prepare for evacuations and mass care operations. Existing Special Needs Registrants must update their information annually; ideally, prior to the start of hurricane season (June 1st).
The time to register is when there are no storms threatening the area. New Special Needs Registry applications will stop being accepted 72 hours prior to the expected arrival of tropical storm winds.
Residents whose only option during an evacuation is to go to a public shelter should register in advance if:
- They do not have personal transportation and will need a ride to get to the shelter when an evacuation is ordered.
- Their daily healthcare needs exceed the basic first aid provided at general population shelters, they use home medical equipment that requires uninterrupted electricity (e.g., oxygen concentrator, nebulizer), or they are medically stable but need help with Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Special Needs Shelters allocate space for the registrant, their equipment, and their caregivers; they are intended to provide, to the extent possible under emergency conditions, an environment that can sustain a vulnerable individual’s level of health.
Special Needs Registry
Special needs shelters are for those with disabilities or who require medical care that exceeds basic first aid. Preregistration is important so emergency responders can ensure space is reserved for those with the greatest need.