Hurricanes can throw an individual with type 2 diabetes into a medical tailspin. How can evacuees manage their insulin supply? What items should people with diabetestake to storm shelters?

As Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida, post-disaster medical care experts emphasize the importance of preparing for problems with diabetes management. Knowing how to manage diabetes before, during, and after a storm is critical to any disaster plan.

Hurricane Harvey was a learning experience for healthcare professionals, says Adlia Ebeid, PharmD, director of pharmacy services at the San Jose Clinic in Houston. “Currently for type 2 diabetes in Houston, the hurricane had impacted a lot of patients.”

Having an emergency checklist of items to collect, important information to store, and situations to plan for could mean the difference between properly managing type 2 diabetes during the storm aftermath and having to seek emergency medical help.

 
 
 

Dr. Ebeid says people with type 2 diabetes who need refrigerated insulin should get a small cooler, even a lunch box, and place ice packs in the freezer. If power goes out for several days, those ice packs can be placed inside the cooler to create a smaller, portable refrigeration space for insulin.

Ruth Smarinsky, a pharmacist at the medical nonprofit Direct Relief in Santa Barbara, California, says people with diabetes should also set their fridge and freezer to the lowest temperature possible ahead of Hurricane Irma. If power does go out, the colder temperatures will keep the items inside colder for longer.

Ebeid says to keep one insulin pen on your person — preferably in a pocket — and a blood sugar monitor in case you need to evacuate in a hurry. She says many of her patients in Houston had to evacuate waist-deep floods, and insulin was the last thought on their mind as they got their family to safety.

Organize Pharmaceutical and Medical Information

Knowing which diabetes medication you currently take is important so shelter medics and doctors in other cities can prescribe you the proper medicine. Write down each type of medicine you currently take, along with the dosage (look for mg or a similar abbreviation), and put that list in your wallet, Smarinsky says. Also write down any allergies you may have to drugs.

Often after a hurricane, evacuees won’t be able to reach their primary doctors for a few weeks. Knowing what medicines they’re already on will help doctors in other cities get them back on their regular medical routine faster. This also helps shelter medics and emergency responders, if they need to find a substitute for a medicine they don’t have in stock.

In the aftermath, knowing what medicine you take can sometimes help pharmacists recommend over-the-counter options that can help manage your care until the prescription options are back in stock, Ebeid says.

Be Direct About Your Health

Type 2 diabetes sometimes comes with a certain stigma, but it’s important to tell your family and those near you if you have type 2 diabetes during the aftermath of a storm.

This is especially important if you are staying in a hurricane shelter, Smarinsky says. The shelter's medical staff needs to know if you have type 2 diabetes so they can respond to get you the right medicine (if you need it), to possibly get you a blood sugar monitor if you lost yours, and to alert staff members to help you get the food you need to manage diabetes.

Stock Up on Diabetes-Friendly Food

Shelter food and post-storm food in general tends to be prepackaged, high-carbohydrate food, Ebeid says. These types of food can disrupt blood sugar and make it difficult to manage type 2 diabetes. Getting access to whatever fresh food the shelter has available — or wherever it's available after evacuating — is important for your overall health, especially in a stressful time like during the aftermath of a storm.

Those people with diabetes who are not evacuating or leaving their homes should try to keep a supply of fresh food on hand. Nonstarchy vegetables, like carrots, beets, artichokes, and broccoli, can be left on the counter without refrigeration until ready to cook.