This course examines how hurricanes disproportionately affect vulnerable groups—from older adults to low-income households—and provides evidence-based strategies for safe, inclusive preparedness. We shares decades of disaster and health research to help families and communities stay resilient during hurricane season.
1. You'll Learn About
The Dangers of Blackouts During Hurricane Season
Simple Household Steps to Be Storm-Ready
How to Protect Vulnerable Family Members and Neighbors
2. Having a safe and reliable power supply
A disaster avoided is far better than having a disaster. Think about a hurricane. It comes through causes major disruption and many problems with its wind and its rain and its coastal flooding. If people are ready, it doesn't necessarily need to be a hurricane disaster. And a fundamental aspect is electricity.
Having a safe and reliable power supply,even as a hurricane brings down power lines, in fact, many authorities in advance of a hurricane turn off the electricity, they then keep it off for several hours, even a few days after the hurricane has passed. Why? It's sensible to avoid electrocution and to avoid fires from sparking power lines. Yet, not everyone is equitably affected by lack of electricity. People requiring refrigerated medications, people relying on medical devices which are plugged in and certainly those who are poorest, those who are most marginalized may have nowhere else to go. So, we need to be certain that everyone can get through the hurricane without major problems. And this is why people, families, and communities for offering options and opportunities to have safe and reliable backup power.
Together, thinking about the planning and being prepared, helping those who can least help themselves, we can be certain that a hurricane does not become a hurricane disaster. Our research shows that not everyone is affected equivalently when a hurricane passes through or in any form of disaster. Not everyone has the same electricity needs as the others. There are groups who are particularly vulnerable. People who rely on medications that require cold storage. Some medications must be kept cold. Others are more effective if they have been kept cold. Families who have babies or young children. People who are elderly, people who have disabilities, particularly when they require medical devices using electricity, perhaps they have to be kept charged, perhaps they have to be kept plugged in in order to operate properly. And very sadly, we have so much evidence that demonstrates that people most affected by a hurricane, the people most affected in a disaster are those who are already the poorest, those who are already marginalized. day-to-day by society.
They might not have the means to evacuate. They might not be able to afford to be somewhere else to be away from home for a few days. And terribly, there are some employers who will fire their employees if their employees take a day or two off work in order to remain safe, in order to stay alive.
These are all the types of groups who need the most help. These are all the types of groups who need safe, reliable electricity in their home. as a hurricane moves in, as it passes through their place where they live, and in hours and days afterwards, when the cleanup is commencing, and until the authorities turn back on the power supply.
If everyone in that area has a safe, reliable backup power supply, then they can help each other. Perhaps one power supply is damaged, perhaps a home is uninhabitable,working with each other, supporting each other, using that backup power supply to help one's neighbors. This brings together community. This helps to avoid the worst impacts of a hurricane stopping a disaster.
Safe, reliable electricity for everyone is so key to avoiding a disaster. Many remote locations, particularly islands and also Arctic communities. They experience very severe storms and different types of severe weather, often being cut off for days. To simply continue their life, to ensure their health needs are met, to be certain that they can take their medications each day and that their medical devices keep them alive, safe, reliable backup power is essential. One example is what we are showing in this course that it's possible to have portable battery operated backup power supplies with expandable batteries perhaps with swappable or renewable batteries so that people can be sure that for days or even a week or more they can have the electricity which they need.
This supports those who are most vulnerable. Not everyone can necessarily afford to purchase the products required. Not everyone even necessarily has access to good internet to be able to use the free educational resources on how to keep electricity going. Working together is how we save lives. And we find that the more remote the community, the more they do support each other.
Islanders are aware that they can be cut off for days. People in the Arctic know that getting in replacement equipment for the main electricity supply may not be straightforward. So when people are poor in the community, when they have been marginalized, when they require refrigerated medications or are staying alive because of a medical device which uses electricity to support people who are injured or ill after the storm has passed, electricity is essential. Those who can afford it, those who have the option of being prepared know that in these remote communities, they need to help each other. Just talking to each other, talking to your neighbors, recognizing what information is available online and the products to purchase long before the storm appears.
This means that it's helpful to work with others and know that perhaps you help your neighbors this time so that your neighbors can help you next time. And in essence, by being ready by having these products, by having the safe, reliable electricity supply, usual life can just continue even as the cleanup commences and eventually makes the streets and the pathways and the bridges possible again. These choices show that no matter what the hurricane does, people can be ready to help themselves and help each other.
What nature does? Communities, families, individuals can still be prepared. And so nature doesn't cause a disaster. Which means we prefer to avoid the term natural disaster. We aim to use our research for practical steps, actions that people can and should take to be certain that no matter what the storm, we do not get a disaster resulting. And this is particularly important for remote communities. Having safe and reliable electricity reduces isolation because they're not dependent on outside authorities restoring the power or putting back up the transmission lines. Having that safe and reliable electricity means that people are not worried that the refrigerator is going to stop working and then their medications may not be usable. Having safe and reliable power means that people who must use medical devices requiring electricity know that they're going to stay alive. And this is where the isolated communities come together and support each other. Not everyone can afford the sort of device which has the battery operated power.
Not everyone can afford to store that and even have spare batteries. So perhaps one house is damaged and their backup power supply is not usable. By having neighbors, by the community coming together, they help each other and ensure that these impacts of isolation, the challenges that they face day to day are not amplified after a storm has gone through. So when we're using this anchor solar backup power academy to provide the free educational evidence informed information it's saying the research shows how to prepare how to be ready how to share how to reduce isolation because the needs for electricity are very practical. Yes, if it's just about charging your mobile phone for 1 hour a day to ensure you can receive emergency texts perhaps a windup would suffice.
To have incoming bulletins, to have a little bit of light. There are wind up torches and there are wind up radios. That does not give us the light, the communication, the indoor temperature control which is required which we come to expect particularly for the most vulnerable for medications and for medical devices.
To have continual communication, to ensure that the mobile phone is working all the time in order to send and receive, to be certain that the needed social services can continue to operate after the hurricane or the storm has passed.
A safe, reliable, much larger electricity supply is essential. Then the communities will come together.They will share what they have and they can continue their usual regular life.
Supporting people to stay alive, supporting people to communicate with each other and the outside world no matter how remote they are, no matter how isolated they are. And then the impacts of a disaster are far far reduced. No one can prevent hurricanes. Together we can all prevent hurricane disasters. It requires thinking and acting now. It means planning, preparation, ensuring that no matter what the hurricane does, we do not experience difficulties or bad health impacts. Which means helping those who are least able to help themselves. And one fundamental is a safe, reliable electricity supply for everyone.
Thank you for joining me at the Backup Power Academy to ensure that no matter what the hurricane, we do not experience a hurricane disaster.
3. What You've Learned
Here are the key takeaways of the course in a quick, practical, and ready-to-use outline.
3.1. Backup Power Protects Health and Safety
Portable power stations keep fridges running, phones charged, and Wi-Fi online.
Clean, quiet power prevents risks linked to gas or charcoal use indoors.
3.2. Community Connections Accelerate Recovery
Neighbors who share resources and information recover faster.
Social support can be as valuable as physical supplies in long outages.
3.3. Vulnerable Groups Need Special Attention
Older adults, infants, and people with disabilities face the highest risks.
Low-income families often lack access to safe backup power or evacuation options.
Inclusive planning ensures no one is left behind.