Chronic diseases

As mandatory evacuations for Hurricane Ian began in Florida and the warnings about damaging wind and flooding intensified, I called my aging parents to check in. Being a disaster researcher, my concern for them was already in high gear, even though they weren’t directly in an evacuation zone. My dad takes medications that require refrigeration, special needles and a sterile environment to administer. My mom is in the early stages of dementia. Both are not as spry as they used to be. I heard the worry in their voice about their safety, about my dad’s health needs, and about what might happen to their house. As I sat at home hundreds of miles away, I thought about all the reasons why leaving isn’t always a clear decision. Concerns about health and home security are two reasons older adults might fear evacuating during disasters like Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Scott Olson/Getty Images...