Hurricane season officially runs through November 30, and in Florida a storm is only one of several ways the power can go out. If your child depends on a ventilator, oxygen, a feeding pump, suction, or other electric equipment, a long outage is a medical event, not just an inconvenience. The families who handle storms best aren't the ones who panic least. They're the ones who decided what to do long before a storm had a name. This guide walks through the steps that matter most, and registration and planning work year-round, so it's worth doing now for next season too.
1. Decide Early: Stay, Evacuate, or Use a Special Needs Shelter
Talk with your child's physicians and home health team before a storm threatens, and decide in advance under what conditions you would leave and where you would go. Know your evacuation zone and your home's vulnerability to wind and flooding. Plan for more than one destination, such as a relative's home outside the zone or a hospital if your child's physician recommends it.
Special needs shelters exist for people who can't manage in a general shelter, but they are not hospitals or nursing facilities and are not a substitute for continuous personal care. Many counties expect a caregiver to stay with the person throughout the shelter stay, so ask your county emergency management office what yours requires and what you should bring.
2. Register With Florida's Special Needs Registry
The Florida Special Needs Registry helps your county's emergency managers plan for residents who need electricity for medical equipment, transportation to evacuate because of a medical condition, or help accessing medication during a disaster. Registration is confidential under Florida law, but it does not guarantee transportation, a shelter space, or power restoration.
Registrations must be renewed every year, and counties stop accepting new applications and updates about 72 hours before tropical storm winds are expected. Register through the state registry portal, then follow up with your county's emergency management office, since each county runs its own process. If your child's equipment, address, or needs change, update the registration.
3. Build a Power Plan for Every Device
Make a list of every piece of equipment your child uses that needs power, and next to each one write how long it runs on battery and what the backup is. Ask your DME supplier and your child's care team how long each battery lasts, how to recharge it, and what to do if the outage outlasts the batteries. There is no universal runtime, so don't assume.
Before a storm, charge every battery, device, and phone, keep chargers and cords together in one bag, and know which items can be powered from a car's outlet only if your supplier or care team has confirmed that's safe for that device. Ask your electric utility whether it keeps a medical-needs list, and understand that being on one does not guarantee early restoration. If your child came home from the NICU recently, our NICU discharge checklist also covers testing your backup power plan before it's needed.
4. Generator and Carbon Monoxide Safety
If you use a portable generator, run it outside, in a dry area, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from doors, windows, and vents. Never run one in a garage, carport, basement, or inside the home, even with doors open. Connecting a generator to home wiring should only be done by a qualified electrician with an approved transfer switch.
Carbon monoxide is odorless and can build up quickly, so install battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms on every level of the home. If anyone, especially your child, becomes dizzy, nauseated, unusually drowsy, or confused, get everyone into fresh air and call 911.
5. Pack a Medical Go-Bag and a Stay-Home Kit
Plan for both leaving and staying. Your child's go-bag should hold the emergency kit your care team has already recommended (see our guide to tracheostomy care at home for an example of what an emergency kit should include), plus at least several days of medications, formula or feeding supplies, and disposable supplies such as tubing, filters, and dressings. Keep paper copies of the care plan, physician orders, medication list, equipment settings, insurance and Medicaid cards, and every key phone number, since phones and the internet can fail. The Caregiver Resource Guide on our Resources and Tools page can help you gather and organize these documents in one place, so you can grab them quickly if you have to leave.
Ask your pharmacy and health plan about emergency refill rules before a storm is near, and refill prescriptions when the forecast first looks threatening rather than at the last minute. Florida's Division of Emergency Management also publishes medication guidance and a preparedness checklist for families with special needs.
6. Talk to Your Home Health Agency Before the Storm
Ask your agency what its written disaster plan says: how nurses will be scheduled if roads close, who will check on your child before and after a storm, how to reach the on-call nurse if phones are down, and what the agency expects you to do if your child's equipment loses power. For a longer list of questions to ask any agency, including emergency and after-hours coverage, see our guide on choosing a pediatric home health agency in Florida.
7. After the Storm: Stay Alert
Outages and road closures often last longer than expected, and supply deliveries and nursing visits can be delayed. Check batteries and fuel often, keep your child's routine as close to normal as possible, and don't wait to escalate if something changes. If you're unsure whether a symptom needs 911, your pediatrician, or your home health agency, our decision guide can help, and when in doubt, call 911.
Plan Ahead With Your Care Team
Home Heart Florida works with families across Florida on private duty nursing and FHHA family caregiving. Learn more about our Private Duty Nursing and Family Caregiving (FHHA) services. Call us at 844-721-1433 or fill out our Caregiver Inquiry Form to see if your child is eligible for FHHA/PDN services.
Clinically reviewed by Christina Viamontes, MSN, RN
Sources
Florida Division of Emergency Management, Make A Plan (Access and Functional Needs Planning)
Florida Department of Health, Special Needs Registry portal
Florida Department of Health in Leon County, Special Needs Registry reminder
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, When the power goes out, keep your generator outside
American Thoracic Society, Pediatric Chronic Home Invasive Ventilation guideline
Disclaimer
This article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical, legal, or professional advice. It does not replace consultation with your child's physician, care team, or other qualified healthcare provider, and reading it does not create a provider-patient relationship with Home Heart Florida. Always follow the specific instructions and care plan provided by your child's medical team, and consult your child's doctor with any questions about your child's individual condition or care. If you believe your child is experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.