The Next Inevitable Disaster: Emergency and Disaster Preparedness for Disabled Folks

Consider me cursed or consider me lucky but, in just under three decades, I’m now up to surviving 13 out of the 18 natural hazards listed on the National Risk Index. After the Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025, I’m dreading the others.

I grew up with heat waves and hurricanes in south Texas but since then I’ve moved from city to city following my schooling and writing dreams. Each city has had its own, new weather pattern that I’ve had to prepare for. Occasionally, I was cohabiting with a partner or living with a roommate. But oftentimes, due to estrangement from my family and impending breakups, I was living alone—as I am now.

The first sustained subzero temperatures I experienced co-occurred with contracting a neuroimmune disorder while living in my first solo apartment. Afterward, I knew I’d be unlikely to have immediate support when anything disastrous occurs.

In fact, the recent fires in LA sobered many of us up when it came to accepting the new, unpredictable chapter we’re living in. It reminded me that, well in advance, I must remain prepared as a single, disabled person who lives alone. Here’s how you can, too.

#1: Have your go-bag ready. If you had to leave right now, what would be most crucial for you to have on hand? In my bag, I’ve kept:

• A bit of food for me and my pup, though we could always share the SPAM
• Documents and medication that are hard to replace, including a copy of my lease
• A cozy outfit or two
• A spare pair of glasses
• Some candles, batteries, and duct tape
• A pack of tarot cards (because you never know when you’ll need ‘em)

As time has gone on without any trouble, I’ve cycled out the clothes and food inside but left a little at all times. I want to be ready on a whim. Other material items do hold sentimental value but your life is most important. You can always replace lost things via donations, thrifting, or your local BuyNothing or Freecycle networks.

#2: Be your own judge and jury. Is it time to leave? Unfortunately, you cannot wait for federal or local governments to speak up. Los Angeles accidentally sent out multiple mistaken evacuation texts to areas that didn’t need to leave. Some that did need to go never got them. You’ll have to be diligent in keeping an eye on the news and weather near you using apps like Watch Duty or Storm Tracker.

It also helps to follow a few hobbyists. After Hurricane Harvey, many Houstonians turned to Space City Weather. In January, Altadena was lucky to have Edgar McGregor. Small-time meteorologists and seismologists publicly track these events out of pure interest, rarely exaggerating for clickbait. Is there someone like that in your area?

#3: Community is a requirement. Yes, we’re lone wolves but, clearly, no one can do it completely alone. Seek out the helpers. Local mutual aid groups were the fastest responders during every disaster I’ve endured (especially Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network). Find yours! Ask if they have a group chat you can join, a contingency plan, or a disaster hotline. They may come in clutch should you need emergency transportation, sidewalk shoveling, or legal support.

Now, fly, my pretties! Ready yourself for the next inevitable natural disaster to grace us with its presence. I’m personally bracing myself for a major earthquake, given that even the tiny ones leave me quaking long after they’ve ended. But I do have slight peace of mind knowing how to look after myself and where to turn should I have to endure them. 

We can’t control nature, we just stay ready so we don’t have to get ready.

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Danielle Brown (she/they) is a Black queer writer living in Los Angeles, CA. You can find more about them at their website.