Updated August 2020
During hurricane season, the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) wants transgender people and their families to stay safe—both from storms and from any unique problems transgender people may face during an evacuation.
It is important for transgender people living in coastal regions to be prepared for obstacles both during and after a hurricane hits. NCTE urges everyone to put together a preparedness kit that not only takes into account basic survival needs, but also your specific health and legal needs as a transgender person.
Hurricane season can be a difficult and dangerous time for all residents of coastal states. We urge you to follow any evacuation orders for your community and follow the advice of emergency officials.
For transgender people it can be especially difficult to access emergency services and shelters because of discrimination and the fear of being mistreated. It’s important to know that for the most part, discrimination in emergency services and shelters is illegal.
NCTE encourages community members in hurricane-prone regions to prepare in advance. You can do this by developing a Disaster Plan, building a Hurricane Preparedness Kit, gathering transgender medical, documentation, and any other personal items you need, and making sure important contact information is easily accessible.
We strongly recommend that you print this page or download it to a mobile device and bring it with you if you evacuate so that you will have all the resource numbers with you in case you encounter a problem.
EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION FOR TRANS DISCRIMINATION IN RELIEF SHELTERS & SERVICES
Lambda Legal National Help Desks:
Toll free: (866) 542-8336
Dallas: (214) 219-8585
Atlanta: (404) 897-1880
National Center for Transgender Equality: (202) 642-4542, [email protected].
FEMA Helpline: 1(800)621-3362
FEMA accepts complaints of gender discrimination in federally-funded disaster relief services.
OTHER RESOURCES
National Weather Service: https://www.weather.gov/safety/hurricane
Equal Access for Transgender People Supporting Inclusive Housing and Shelters: https://cceh.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Equal-Access-for-Transgender-People-Supporting-Inclusive-Housing-and-Shelters.pdf
If you are a first responder, emergency staff, or working at an emergency shelter, learn what you can do to make sure transgender people can safely access your resources from our friends at Louisiana Transgender Advocates.
EMERGENCY KITS FOR EVERYONE
The National Weather Service recommends that everyone have the following items in an emergency kit:
- Water & food (enough for at least three days)
- Sleeping page or a warm blanket
- Clothing (incl. rain gear, sturdy shoes)
- First aid kit
- Any prescription medications (such as hormones) or assistive devices
- Toiletries, hygiene items, moisture wipes
- Garbage Bags and plastic ties
- Flashlight
- Batteries
- Local maps
- Battery operated radio
- Cell phone with chargers, inverter, or solar charger
- Cash or traveler’s checks and change
- Manual can opener for food
- Toys, book and games
- Important documents (in a waterproof container or watertight resealable plastic bag, such as insurance, medical records, bank account numbers, Social Security card, etc.)
- Tools (such as a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities)
- Vehicle fuel tanks (filled)
- Baby care items
- Pet care items
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place
- Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper to disinfect water
- Matches in water proof container
For more tips on building and storing your disaster supply kit please visit : https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit
For more information about disaster planning, please visit the National Weather Service’s Hurricane Awareness website at: https://www.weather.gov/safety/hurricane
OTHER THINGS YOU MAY NEED
In addition to the standard emergency information, NCTE recommends that transgender people also have the following with them:
Medical
- Copies of prescriptions – make sure to save these, especially for injectable medications!
- Syringes, alcohol swabs, etc. for any injectable medications
- Other medical devices or supplies (such as dilators)
Legal
- Phone numbers for Lambda Legal, NCTE, and FEMA helpline
- Court orders for name and/or gender change
- Identification, including passport
- If you don’t have identification matching your gender, a letter from your therapist or doctor
Appearance
- Razors
- Cosmetics
- Binding, packing equipment (e.g. binders, gaffs, packers)
