Disaster Preparedness for Older Adults in Arkansas

From Little Rock to Pine Bluff, Fort Smith to Jonesboro, Arkansas has always lived with storms. Now, floods rise faster, tornadoes spin up with little warning, and ice and heat waves last longer. Older adults—especially those living alone or in rural areas—can be hit hard when power, roads, or medical care are disrupted.

You don’t need an elaborate system to be safer. A few simple steps, done over time, can make a real difference.

AARP Arkansas and SBP recently brought a power‑packed virtual training to help you cut risk, build your plan, choose the right insurance, protect vital documents, safeguard your home—and outsmart contractor fraud. Check out the recording and materials for more information, and take note of some tips and suggestions below.

• River communities: flooding
• Ozarks: ice, steep hills, downed trees
• Central Arkansas and the River Valley: tornadoes and severe storms
• Eastern and southern counties: extreme heat

Check your county emergency management website or the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, sign up for alerts, and keep a battery-powered or NOAA weather radio for power outages.

Build a right-sized emergency kit - Plan for a few days without power or a quick evacuation. Include:

• Prescription medicines and a list of doses
• Extra glasses, hearing aid batteries, medical supplies
• Shelf-stable food and bottled water
• Pet food and leashes
• Flashlight, batteries, small first-aid and hygiene items
• Sturdy shoes, warm layer, change of clothes

Pick one date each year to refresh your kit.

Write down a simple plan - In an emergency, stress makes it easy to forget details. On one sheet of paper, note:

• Two ways out of your home and neighborhood
• Where you would stay if you had to leave
• Names and phone numbers of people who will check on you
• How you’d travel if you use mobility or medical equipment

Share copies with family and a trusted neighbor or friend.

Protect money, documents, and your home

• Keep a small emergency fund, if you can.
• Review your insurance. Flood damage requires separate flood coverage.
• Walk through your home and record a video of each room.
• Store IDs, insurance papers, Medicare cards, wills, and medical info in a fire- and water-resistant box and/or secure digital storage.

Before storm season, clear gutters, trim dead branches, and secure items that can blow away. After a disaster, be wary of contractors who appear uninvited, want big payments up front, or won’t provide written estimates.

Start small: add one item to your kit, jot down emergency contacts, or talk with a neighbor. Step by step, you can be better prepared for whatever Arkansas weather brings.

If you are interested in learning how to become a volunteer with AARP and help spread the word about disaster preparedness, please visit www.aarp.org/iwant2volunteer to complete a volunteer interest form.