Hurricane evacuation difficult for those with 'special needs'

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Wednesday, September 15, 1999 3:17:59 PM EDT

VIDEO CNN's Holly Firfer reports on shelter offering special medical services for residents evacuating before the hurricane. Windows Media 28K 80K

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From Medical Correspondent Holly Firfer

JACKSONVILLE, Florida (CNN) -- As Hurricane Floyd forced the evacuation of over 2 million people along the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, Tuesday and Wednesday, there were those with special medical needs who could not go to just any shelter.

In response to Hurricane Floyd, shelters called special needs emergency centers, or SNECs, were set up for people along Florida's east coast. Schools and other buildings were converted to house those who are electrically dependent, for example those who require electricity to keep a ventilator going.

Prime candidates for the SNEC shelters include,"Patients who have lung disease that require oxygen, or diabetics who require insulin injections on a regular basis, or really anyone who has some special medication needs," said Dr. Jim Toomey of the Florida Public Health Department.

One shelter set up at a middle school in Jacksonville had enough electrical capacity to run any machine, and plenty of back-up battery power to last two to three days should power have been lost.

Stress compounds chronic medical problems

People at the shelter were not sick enough to be hospitalized, but required special medical supervision and observation. And the fear was that the stress of an impending disaster could be disastrous to these peoples' health.

"Any change in their normal routine can increase their need for oxygen," Toomey said.

Emergency management teams were ready to deal with most any medical emergency. Two to three ambulances stocked with equipment, including defibrillators, cardiac medicine and crash carts, were on hand. Should a severe emergency have occurred, teams were prepared to get a patient to the closest hospital.

Those at the shelter were told to bring their own medications. Doctors and nurses on site primarily insured that medications were taken properly, and offered reassurance.

Annie Wooden, who's used a wheelchair since a bout with polio in 1941, found herself in a special needs shelter Tuesday night.

"I am not sick-sick, so I just needed a place to (stay) before the hurricane came," Wooden said.

The response to the centers was overwhelming. As they reached capacity Tuesday evening, the SNECs were forced to send people to other nearby shelters.