Hurricane Season and Dialysis — What You Need to Know

Hurricane season officially runs from June 1 through November 30. For most people, that means watching the weather and keeping a flashlight handy. For dialysis patients and their caregivers, it means something far more serious — and preparation must begin months before a storm is ever named.

This guide covers what dialysis patients need to know before, during, and after a hurricane.

Why Hurricanes Are Especially Dangerous for Dialysis Patients

Hurricanes create a perfect storm of risks for people on dialysis:

• Power outages can last days or weeks, shutting down dialysis centers
• Flooding can make roads impassable, blocking access to treatment
• Evacuation orders may force patients to leave their regular clinic's service area
• Water contamination can render dialysis centers inoperable even after power is restored
• Supply chain disruptions can delay delivery of dialysate and other consumables

After Hurricane Harvey in 2017, some dialysis patients in the Houston area went four or more days without treatment. After Hurricane Maria, the situation in Puerto Rico was catastrophic — clinics were closed for weeks, and patients died.

The lesson is clear: waiting until a storm is approaching is too late. Preparation must happen now.

Before Hurricane Season: The Preparation Checklist

Know Your Dialysis Center's Emergency Plan

Call your dialysis center and ask:

• Do you have a backup generator? How long can it run?
• What is your evacuation protocol if the center must close?
• Do you have a sister facility I can transfer to in an emergency?
• How will you notify me if the center closes?

Get the answers in writing if possible. Your care team should be a partner in your emergency planning.

Identify Backup Dialysis Centers

Identify at least two dialysis centers outside your immediate area — ideally in different directions from your home, so that if one evacuation route is blocked, you have another option.

For each backup center, record:

• Name and address
• Phone number
• Distance from your home
• Whether they accept emergency transfers

The National Kidney Foundation's dialysis center locator and the DaVita and Fresenius clinic finders are useful tools for this research.

Register as a Special Needs Evacuee

Most counties and municipalities maintain a special needs registry for residents who require assistance during evacuations. Registration typically means:

• Priority notification when evacuation orders are issued
• Access to special needs shelters with medical support
• Transportation assistance if you cannot self-evacuate

Contact your local emergency management office to register. Do this before hurricane season begins — not when a storm is approaching.

Prepare Your Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit

A dialysis-specific emergency kit should include:

Medical documentation:

• Dialysis emergency card (treatment prescription, access type, dry weight, medications, allergies, emergency contacts)
• Emergency medication log
• Copies of insurance cards and photo ID

Medications:

• 7-day supply of all medications, clearly labeled
• Phosphate binders
• Blood pressure medications
• Any other regularly prescribed drugs

Food and fluid supplies:

• 3-day supply of renal-appropriate, shelf-stable food
• Bottled water (within your prescribed fluid allowance)
• Avoid high-potassium, high-phosphorus, and high-sodium foods

Other essentials:

• Phone charger and backup battery
• Cash (ATMs may be offline)
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• Copies of important documents in a waterproof bag

The Renal Preparedness Project's Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit is designed specifically for dialysis patients and includes renal-friendly food, an emergency medication log, a dialysis emergency card, and a fluid restriction tracker — everything you need in one place.

When a Hurricane Watch or Warning Is Issued

72 Hours Before Landfall

• Contact your dialysis center immediately. Ask whether they plan to remain open, close early, or transfer patients.
• If your center will close, begin calling your backup centers to arrange emergency treatment.
• Fill all prescriptions. Do not wait.
• Charge all electronic devices and backup batteries.
• Confirm your evacuation plan with family members or caregivers.

48 Hours Before Landfall

• If you are evacuating, leave now. Do not wait for a mandatory evacuation order. Roads become congested quickly, and patients with mobility limitations need extra time.
• Bring your complete Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit, all medications, and your dialysis emergency card.
• Notify your dialysis center of your destination so they can coordinate care.
• If you are sheltering in place, move to the highest floor of your home and keep your Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kit accessible.

24 Hours Before Landfall

• Confirm your dialysis appointment at your destination or backup center.
• Eat a renal-appropriate meal. Avoid high-potassium foods.
• Stay informed through local emergency management channels.

During the Storm

• Do not attempt to travel during the storm.
• If you miss a dialysis session, monitor yourself for symptoms of fluid overload: shortness of breath, swelling in the legs or face, rapid weight gain.
• If you experience chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or confusion, call 911 immediately. Tell the dispatcher that you are a dialysis patient who has missed treatment.
• Limit fluid intake to your prescribed allowance.
• Avoid high-potassium foods: bananas, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, beans.

After the Storm

• Contact your dialysis center as soon as communication is restored to confirm when they will reopen.
• If your center is still closed, contact your backup centers.
• If you cannot reach any dialysis center, go to the nearest hospital emergency room and explain that you are a dialysis patient who has missed treatment. Bring your dialysis emergency card.
• Do not wait to seek care if you are experiencing symptoms.

A Note on Special Needs Shelters

Special needs shelters are designed to support people with medical conditions during disasters. However, they vary widely in their capacity to support dialysis patients. Some have arrangements with mobile dialysis units; others do not.

Before hurricane season, contact your local emergency management office and ask specifically about dialysis support at special needs shelters in your area. If the answer is unclear, advocate for better planning — and make sure your personal backup plan does not rely solely on shelter-based care.

Preparation Is an Act of Self-Advocacy

Dialysis patients are often told to "just follow their treatment plan" — as if the healthcare system will always be there to support them. Disasters reveal the limits of that assumption.

Preparation is not pessimism. It is self-advocacy. It is the recognition that the system may fail, and that having a plan means you are not dependent on it working perfectly.

The Renal Preparedness Project is here to help. Our Pantry 2 Go Emergency Dialysis Kits, resources, and preparedness guides are designed to give dialysis patients and caregivers the tools they need to face hurricane season — and every other emergency — with confidence.

Start your preparation today. Hurricane season does not wait.