How should an older adult plan for evacuation?

Ready.gov advises planning transportation in advance if you need help evacuating. Choose evacuation destinations in different directions so you have options. Keep a full tank of gas if an evacuation seems likely, and at least a half tank at all times. Pre-pack a go-bag with medications, medical supplies, assistive devices, and important documents. The FEMA Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults recommends three steps: assess your needs, create a plan, and engage your support network. For someone who cannot drive or who needs physical assistance getting to a vehicle, that support network is the evacuation plan.

What should an older adult bring when evacuating?

Ready.gov recommends including medicines, medical supplies, batteries and chargers for assistive devices, and items meeting individual needs. For older adults specifically: a current medication list and at least a 7-day supply if possible, insurance and Medicare cards, the household binder or copies of critical documents, backup oxygen cylinders if oxygen-dependent, hearing aid batteries, backup glasses, mobility aids, phone chargers, comfort items, and pet supplies if applicable. The American Lung Association advises bringing extra batteries and car chargers for portable oxygen concentrators.

Evacuating an Older Adult — New World Survival

The difference

Evacuation for an older adult has different constraints.

Standard evacuation advice assumes you can pack a bag, get in the car, and drive for several hours. For many older adults, every step of that assumption needs adjustment. The bag may need to be pre-packed because you cannot assemble it quickly. Getting to the car may require physical assistance. Someone else may need to drive. The destination must have power for medical equipment, accessibility for a mobility device, and a way to continue medications.

Ready.gov advises planning transportation if you need help evacuating, choosing destinations in different directions so you have options, and keeping a full tank of gas when an evacuation seems likely. The FEMA Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults recommends three steps: assess your needs, create a plan, and engage your support network. For someone who cannot act alone, that support network is the entire plan.

This guide covers the practical details: who drives, how to get into the vehicle, what goes in the car and in what order, what the destination needs to have, and the early-departure trigger that makes all of it easier.

The most important rule

Leave early. Not when it gets bad.

For an older adult who needs physical help, uses a wheelchair or walker, depends on oxygen, or has a person with dementia who will resist the process, evacuation takes longer than it does for a healthy younger person. Every hour of delay makes conditions worse: roads flood, traffic builds, shelters fill, helpers become unavailable, and the physical effort of leaving increases.

The decision to leave early is the single most protective step in the senior evacuation plan. The question to answer in advance is: what conditions trigger departure? Not when conditions are already dangerous, but when they start moving toward dangerous. That trigger should be written down, shared with the person who will drive, and agreed on before any forecast.

Example early-departure triggers

A hurricane watch is issued (not a warning; a watch means conditions are possible in 48 hours, giving time to leave in daylight with low traffic)
A winter storm warning predicts multi-day power outages and you depend on electricity for medical equipment
A wildfire is burning in your area and you are in or near an evacuation advisory zone (not yet mandatory)
An extreme heat advisory is forecast and the home has no backup cooling and the person is medically vulnerable to heat

See When to Stay and When to Evacuate for the full decision framework.

The vehicle

Getting into the car is half the plan.

For someone who uses a walker, wheelchair, or needs physical assistance with transfers, the process of getting from inside the house to seated in a vehicle is a distinct step that requires its own planning and, ideally, practice.

Before the day arrives

Identify who drives. If the person cannot drive, name the driver. If the primary driver is unavailable, name a backup. Both should know the route, the destination, and where the go-bag is.
Practice the transfer. Walk through getting from the living room to the car while things are calm. Identify where the wheelchair fits, whether the walker folds, whether the person needs a transfer board, and how long it takes.
Check your path. Can the walker get down the porch steps? Is there a ramp? If the person uses a wheelchair, is the path from the door to the vehicle clear and navigable? Address this before the emergency.
Keep fuel in the vehicle. Ready.gov recommends a full tank when evacuation seems likely and at least half a tank at all times. Gas stations may be closed during emergencies.

Loading the vehicle

Person first, then equipment. Get the person seated and secure before loading equipment. The vehicle should be running with climate control set before they get in.
Medications within reach. The medication bag goes in the passenger cabin, not the trunk. The person or their caregiver should be able to reach it during the drive.
Oxygen cylinders upright and secured. Home oxygen suppliers advise securing cylinders upright in the vehicle to prevent rolling or tipping. A portable concentrator can run from the vehicle's 12V outlet during the drive.
Wheelchair or walker in last. Load mobility aids after the person is seated. They go back in first at the destination.

The destination

Where you are going matters as much as how you get there.

Ready.gov recommends choosing evacuation destinations in different directions so you have options. For an older adult with medical and accessibility needs, the destination also needs to meet specific requirements that not every location can.

Check these in advance. A phone call now prevents a crisis on arrival.

Family or friend's home

Is there a bedroom and bathroom on the first floor?
Can the walker or wheelchair navigate the hallways and doorways?
Are there electrical outlets for medical equipment? Will a concentrator and CPAP be on the same circuit?
Can they accommodate a pet?
Will the same storm affect their power too?

Shelter or facility

Does your county operate a medical-needs shelter with backup power? Call your local emergency management office to find out.
Does the shelter accept pets? Ready.gov recommends researching pet-friendly evacuation centers in advance.
Does the shelter have a pharmacy or medical staff on site? Some do; many do not.
Is the facility accessible (ramps, wide doorways, accessible restrooms)?

Hotels and motels: For a planned early departure in advance of a forecast event, a hotel 50 to 100 miles from the affected area is often the simplest option if the person can manage a hotel room. Call ahead to confirm first-floor availability, accessibility, and pet policies. Book before the rush.

The go-bag

Pre-packed. Checked quarterly.

An evacuation go-bag for an older adult looks different from the standard emergency kit. It prioritizes medications, medical equipment, and comfort over food and water (which are available at the destination). The bag should be pre-packed, kept in a known location, and reviewed at least every three months to update medications and check battery charges.

Medications

7-day supply of all medications (or as many days as your prescription and insurance allow)
Written medication list with doses, times, prescribing doctor, and pharmacy
Copies of prescriptions
Insulated bag for refrigerated medications

Medical equipment

Portable oxygen concentrator and all batteries, plus car charger
Backup oxygen cylinders with connections and regulator
CPAP with battery pack if used
Oxygen supplier's emergency number on paper

Documents

Insurance cards (Medicare, supplemental, prescription)
Photo ID
Advance directive and healthcare POA copies
Emergency contact list on paper
Caregiver document (if a caregiver may change at the destination)

Personal essentials

Backup glasses
Hearing aid batteries (or charger)
Denture supplies
Continence supplies for the drive and first day
Comfort item (blanket, pillow, or photograph that provides continuity)

Communication

Fully charged phone and car charger
Portable charger or power bank
Written list of phone numbers (does not require battery)

If you have pets

Pet carrier or leash and collar
3-day supply of pet food and water
Pet medications
Vet contact information

When the person does not want to leave

Evacuation resistance is common and needs a plan.

Many older adults refuse to evacuate. The reasons are rational: attachment to home, fear of the unknown, past experiences of unnecessary evacuations, difficulty of travel, and concern about leaving possessions unprotected. For people with dementia, evacuation is even harder because they may not understand why they are being moved and may become frightened or combative during the process.

Ready.gov and FEMA guidance for people with disabilities recommends bringing comfort items like a favorite pillow, blanket, or something to hold. For someone with cognitive decline, maintaining the routine as much as possible, keeping a familiar face present, and framing the departure as "visiting" rather than "evacuating" can reduce resistance. A caregiver who has practiced the process in calm conditions will be more effective under pressure.

This is covered in depth in the Dementia Preparedness guide. The key point here is that resistance should be anticipated and planned for, not encountered for the first time during the emergency.

Connected guides

Planned, practiced, and never improvised.