Severe weather threats and other natural disasters can be terrifying experiences for any family. For families of children with special needs, as much advance notice and planning as is possible can help in gathering additional items, like important documents, medical forms or AAC batteries. We recommend not waiting for a severe weather alert to be issued to get prepared. Here are a couple of items in addition to the basic food, water and shelter that we’d recommend special needs families consider in their emergency preparedness planning.

Gather important documents—in addition to birth certificates and insurance documents make sure to place IEPs in a safe place. If you leave your home for the hurricane, bring this with you in the event that you have to relocate temporarily after the storm passes.

Grab some cash and gas—power outages will affect ATM machines and credit card terminals at stores, gas stations and other places. So if standing in long bank lines after a hurricane doesn’t sound like fun, we recommend you withdrawal money during the days leading up to the hurricane. Don’t forget to make sure your car is filled with gas!

Do a medications check—do you have a list of all the medications your family takes daily? As parents we tend to focus so much on our kids but make sure to include at least a 10 day supply for each person—including you and other adults in the house. Pack this list and the frequency of each with your important documents. If you take vitamins or are prone to allergies make sure to also include over the counter medications that will help.

Get the basics-in addition to food, water, batteries and a first aid kit, don’t forget to pack toilet paper, matches, cell phone chargers—both car and wall chargers so if there is not electricity you can charge in your car. Other great recommendations we heard are: charcoal for outdoor BBQ should gas and electricity not be available for cooking and filling up your bathtubs with water so you can flush your toilets in the event waterlines are down. Make sure batteries or chargers for communication devices are also included!