If you or someone in your home has a disability, a medical condition or needs help getting around, plan early. Help is available, but most programs require you to register before a storm threatens.
Register for evacuation help (EEAP)
Miami-Dade County's free Emergency and Evacuation Assistance Program (EEAP) gives registered residents priority for specialized transportation, a safe place to shelter, medical monitoring and wellness checks after a disaster.
You may qualify if you
Cannot evacuate on your own because you need specialized transportation
Are homebound or bedbound and have no one to drive you
Rely on life-sustaining medical equipment that needs electricity
Need help with daily living activities because of a medical condition
Residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities and group homes are covered by their facility's emergency plan and are not eligible
How to register
Online: register online
By phone: call 311 to request an application in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Braille or large print
By mail: send the completed application to Miami-Dade Department of Emergency Management, 9300 NW 41st Street, Doral, FL 33178
Questions: EEAP hotline 305-513-7700, TTY 305-468-5402
Register once and update your information when your contacts or medical needs change. Each eligible person in a household needs a separate application. If you need a higher level of care, your doctor should complete and sign the application. Registration closes before an evacuation order is issued.
Special needs shelters
Special needs shelters serve people who need medical care beyond basic first aid, such as people who use oxygen, feeding tubes or pumps, or electric-powered mobility or medical devices. They are run by Miami-Dade County and the Florida Department of Health. Locations are announced when they open; Pinecrest does not operate its own shelter. [CONFIRM: that the Village does not run a shelter]
Register with the Florida Special Needs Registry so responders can plan space for you.
EEAP registrants are transported to the special needs shelter during an evacuation order.
A caregiver or companion must stay with you for the whole stay.
Shelters are a refuge of last resort and do not provide the same care as a hospital.
What to bring to a special needs shelter
Your caregiver or companion
At least a 7-day supply of medicines, with instructions
Medical equipment and supplies: oxygen, wheelchair, cane, diabetes supplies, chargers
At least a 3-day supply of food and water for you and your caregiver, including special diet foods
Bedding, a cot or folding chair, clothing and toiletries in one carrier
A list of emergency contacts, doctors and pharmacies
Plan for power outages
If you depend on powered medical equipment, plan a backup power source and know where you will go if the power is out for days.
Keep medicines that need refrigeration in a cooler with frozen water containers.
Tell FPL about medical equipment in your home, but do not count on getting power back first.
Help after the storm
Wellness checks: EEAP registrants may receive a wellness call after a disaster. To request a check on a Pinecrest resident, call Pinecrest Police at 305-234-2100. [CONFIRM: Police handle post-storm wellness checks]
FEMA: when you apply for assistance, tell FEMA about any disability-related needs; FEMA can provide accommodations such as sign language interpreters. TTY 1-800-462-7585.
Food, water and supplies: distribution sites are posted on Rebuild and get help (/hurricane/recovery).
Social services: call 211 for food, housing and caregiving help.
Accessible information
Every page on this site can be printed and read by screen readers.
Request preparedness guides in Braille, large print or other formats by calling 311 (TTY 711).
Service animals are welcome at all Miami-Dade evacuation centers, and all centers meet ADA requirements