Responding to Hurricane Florence
Written by:
Katherine Evans
Published:
August 1, 2018
While there are many wonderful aspects to life in the low country, extreme weather can certainly be stressful and frustrating. When the winds start blowing and the flood warnings flash, families and clients are left with difficult decisions about whether to stay put or evacuate.
Recently, Charleston was placed under a mandatory evacuation order as Hurricane Florence barreled towards the coast. No one knew exactly where she was going to hit and at what magnitude. The city piled doorways with sandbags and boarded up windows. Senior care facilities helped ferry their residents to higher ground.For those who decided to stay, Commonwise Home Care worked with each client and their families to ensure that we maintained coverage where needed and communicated thoroughly and often. Our caregivers, office team, and clients all came together to prioritize needs and ensure that everyone was safe.For seniors in Charleston who have in home care or personal care, ensuring that you’re prepared for bad weather is a matter of necessity. Whether it’s a freak snowstorm in January or a hurricane in September, your care team at Commonwise will provide plenty of communication and guidance to ensure that we help take care of your needs.Here are some tips to help you be prepared:
Put together a small kit with necessities - Here is a helpful list of things to include: https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit
Create a list of resources and their contact information that will help you in an emergency. Doctors, pharmacist, your home care provider, friends, family, numbers for the city - any information that you would normally be able to look up on your computer or phone.
Collect copies of important documents: those relating to your health, your insurance, mortgage, identification, deeds, etc. You might even want to scan copies and keep electronic files on a flash drive or safely in cloud-based storage.
Ask you doctor and/or pharmacist for one extra month’s supply of your medications. They can be stored with your emergency kit.
Think through all of the other necessities: food, water, oxygen, transportation, pets and their needs. Make sure you have a plan to have all of the important items stored somewhere accessible.
While this sounds like a lot, the most important thing is communication. Let Commonwise know what your needs are and our staff can help you with all of these steps in preparation for our next extreme weather event in Charleston.Stay safe and know that you’re not alone when bad weather hits.