{"id":1844,"date":"2026-05-27T10:04:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T10:04:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1844"},"modified":"2026-05-27T10:04:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T10:04:22","slug":"hurricane-season-2026-hurricane-irma-changed-how-florida-nursing-homes-prepare-for-storms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1844","title":{"rendered":"Hurricane season 2026: Hurricane Irma changed how Florida nursing homes prepare for storms"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s been nine years since Hurricane Irma forced mass evacuations across Florida and left millions without power. Emergency managers say the storm exposed serious problems inside some nursing homes and led to major changes in how facilities prepare for hurricanes.<\/p>\n

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When Irma swept through the state in 2017, several nursing home residents in South Florida died in overheated facilities in the days after the storm, sparking outrage and prompting statewide reforms aimed at protecting vulnerable residents during emergencies.<\/p>\n

Now, emergency officials say preparation begins long before a storm arrives.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to check on every single assisted living facility and nursing home,\u201d said Alan Harris, director of the Seminole County Office of Emergency Management.<\/p>\n

Harris said officials work to ensure facilities have functioning backup systems and clear emergency plans in place.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they aren\u2019t evacuating, do they have the generator? Is the generator tested? Is their HVAC available for the generator once it comes back on?\u201d Harris said.<\/p>\n

In response to the deaths following Irma, Florida now requires nursing homes and assisted living facilities to have backup generators capable of keeping temperatures below 81 degrees for at least four days.<\/p>\n

Facilities must also maintain fuel supplies and emergency power plans.<\/p>\n

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Nursing homes are also required to stock several days\u2019 worth of supplies to keep residents safe if power outages occur.<\/p>\n

At Guardian Care Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, administrators say hurricane preparation is an ongoing effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have what you call a comprehensive emergency management plan that we review at least every year and we submit to our county emergency management department in Orange County,\u201d said Guardian Care\u2019s director Eloise Abrahams. \u201cWe were well prepared to address any issues that we had at the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abrahams said preparation includes regular staff training and emergency drills throughout the year.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe educate our staff and they\u2019re well prepared to handle any emergency that should come up,\u201d Abrahams said. \u201cMy residents feel confident and my employees feel confident and also my families because we educate our families too.\u201d<\/p>\n

For emergency managers, the goal is preventing a repeat of what happened after Irma.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want anything like what happened in Broward County to occur, where people decompensate and die post-storm,\u201d Harris said.<\/p>\n

Residents at Guardian Care say those preparations provide reassurance during hurricane season.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, if there was a hurricane coming, I hope the building or facility or whoever is over would have the information to let us know what to do,\u201d resident Lillie Jackson said.<\/p>\n

Another resident, Willie Graham, said he feels confident in the facility\u2019s preparedness.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom the evidence of how they\u2019ve operated things around here, I have no problem with that,\u201d Graham said. \u201cWell organized.\u201d<\/p>\n

With another hurricane season underway, officials say the changes implemented since Irma are designed to better protect Florida\u2019s most vulnerable residents when the next storm strikes.<\/p>\n

Read more Today in History: May 27, mafia bombing in Florence kills 5, destroys priceless artwork<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s been nine years since Hurricane Irma forced mass evacuations across Florida and left millions without power. Emergency managers say the storm exposed serious problems inside some nursing homes and led to major changes in how facilities prepare for hurricanes. When Irma swept through the state in 2017, several nursing home residents in South Florida [\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1843,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,13,42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hurricanes","category-news","category-weather"],"yoast_head":"\nHurricane season 2026: Hurricane Irma changed how Florida nursing homes prepare for storms - Orlando Relocation Report<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/orlandorelocationreport.com\/?p=1844\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hurricane season 2026: Hurricane Irma changed how Florida nursing homes prepare for storms - Orlando Relocation Report\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"It\u2019s been nine years since Hurricane Irma forced mass evacuations across Florida and left millions without power. 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