Special needs shelters open across Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton's landfall
Special needs shelters have begun opening across several counties in Florida ahead of Hurricane Milton's anticipated landfall on Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
These types of shelters operate during emergencies -- such as hurricane evacuations -- for those with physical, mental or sensory disabilities, or for those with medical conditions, including those that require assistance but not hospitalization.
If the special needs patient has a caregiver, it is recommended that the caregiver accompany them if possible.
"These are different from a general population shelter," Jae Williams, communications director of the Florida Department of Health (FDOH), told ABC News. A general population shelter is "a fortified structure that is going to keep you alive. It's not going to necessarily maintain electricity or be comfortable, but it will keep you alive," he added.
Williams said special needs shelters are opened at the request of local counties, but the staffing and operations of those shelters are spearheaded by the FDOH.
As of 9 a.m. ET on Tuesday, there are four special needs shelters open in Pinellas County, three in Hillsborough County, three in Polk County, two in Pasco County and one in each in Hernando, Lee and Manatee Counties.
Since then, several more shelters are expected to open or have opened on Tuesday in counties including Lake, Marion and Osceola and on Wednesday in counties including Indian River and Volusia.
Currently, there are 700 special needs patients at these shelters, according to Williams. This figure does not include caregivers, who may be accompanying people staying at special needs shelters.
"We definitely anticipate that number to rise," Williams said.
Some counties, such as Volusia County, are offering free public transportation shelters. Additionally, the Florida Division of Emergency Management announced it is partnering with Uber to provide free rides to shelters.
FDOH recommends those who plan to stay in a special needs shelter bring a kit including a list of medications and dosage, a 30-day supply of medications, vital medical equipment for those who are electrically or oxygen dependent and backup energy sources for that equipment,
The department also recommends bringing special dietary needs -- such as food -- and personal information including a photo ID, an insurance card, a list of emergency contacts and the contact information of the person's primary care provider.
Those who may need special needs shelter are required to pre-register with the Florida Special Needs Shelter Registry, run by the FDOH.
"Additional information will be provided to you by your local emergency management agency regarding evacuation and sheltering options available," a press release from the FDOH said.
In addition, Williams said the FDOH is facilitating, coordinating and executing health care facility emergency evacuations including hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Almost 600 vehicles, such as ambulances and paratransit buses, are staged throughout central Florida and Williams said it is the largest health care facility emergency evacuation in the history of Florida.
Williams said the department is "scrambling" and will continue to do so until Florida starts experiencing sustained tropical winds, which will force staff to stop operations.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden warned that Milton could be one of Florida's worst storms in 100 years. He urged those under evacuation orders to leave immediately, calling it "a matter of life and death."
