Diabetes Preparation Resources for Those Affected by Hurricane Dorian

As Hurricane Dorian finishes its final sweep off the Florida coast, she moves north, and the Carolina coasts and Georgia brace for potential landfall later today.

For those with diabetes, hurricane preparedness takes on a very different meaning, year after year. We’ll look at some tips for staying safe and some resources to help you stay organized.

Tips for Hurricane Preparedness with Diabetes:

Take stock of all your medication and make sure you have enough for seven days – this includes your oral medication, insulin, glucagon, fever medication, etc.

Take stock of all your supplies, make sure all your devices are charged, your glucometer is ready to go, and that you have enough test strips and extra syringes.

If you use a pump, have a backup insulin pump.

If you lose electricity, be prepared with ice or a reusable cooling pack to keep your insulin cool.

Also, keep your prescriptions, pump settings, doctor and emergency contact information along with your medication.

For more useful information on disaster relief during emergency situations, check out emergency resources from the Joslin Diabetes Center and the American Diabetes Association.

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) also has resources for diabetes patients in areas affected by Hurricane Dorian.

“Advanced preparation is key to managing diabetes during emergencies,” said Dr. Sandra Weber, president of AACE in a statement.”Facing a natural disaster unprepared can be potentially life-threatening to a person with diabetes.”

If you, your patients or loved ones are at risk, Weber says the immediate first step is to prepare a diabetes emergency kit in case of evacuation.

You can download a free diabetes emergency plan checklist and learn how to prepare an emergency kit at http://mydiabetesemergencyplan.com.

For more information and resources to help diabetes patients through emergency situations, visit the Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition (DDRC) website at diabetesdisasterresponse.org.

A State of Emergency has been declared in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and therefore, patients can get 30-day refills of certain medications.

There are also resources for health care professionals if there are diabetes supply shortages in the community. Health care professionals can call the emergency diabetes supply hotline 314-INSULIN (314-467-8546) if there are diabetes supply shortages in the community. Note that this hotline is for Health Care Professionals only.