Around 850 older residents of The Terraces at Park Marino in Pasadena, Calif., were whisked away in office furniture, wheelchairs and other assisted mobility devices as orange embers flew by, pulled by strong winds. These early images of the Eaton Fire displayed not only the intense weather conditions at hand but the resilience and quick-thinking of the residential staff at the assisted living facility. Such stories of heroism and resiliency were common all across Los Angeles County during its recent fires.
Victor Shaw, a 66-year-old Altadena resident, was found with a garden hose in his hand in front of this family home of 55 years.
Randall Miod, a 55-year-old homeowner in Malibu, stood his ground, spraying water at the encroaching Palisades fire near his home.
Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old retiree in Altadena, was caring for his son Justin, who had cerebral palsy, as wildfires closed in on their yard.
Unfortunately, these four individuals, along with Rodney Rickerson, Annette Rossilli, Erliene Kelly, Charles Mortimer, and others, were among the dead found in the aftermath of the wildfires. The death toll, currently at 28, is expected to rise as containment and recovery efforts improve. What many of the previously listed individuals had in common was their age— with the exception of Justin, they were all older than age 50.
Natural disasters lay bare society’s deepest inequalities, and for older adults, these challenges are not only life-changing but also potentially life-threatening. Limited mobility and digital literacy, preexisting health conditions and social isolation make it difficult to respond quickly to evacuation orders, let alone even hear about the order in the first place.
Systemic Gaps in Disaster Preparedness
The tragic stories of older adults struggling during the wildfires are part of a long timeline of increasingly dangerous systematic gaps in disaster preparedness and response.
In wildfire-prone areas like California, these gaps are becoming more and more apparent. In 2017, the Tubbs Fire raced through Sonoma County, California, testing the capacity of emergency services and planning in the winemaking region. For the Villa Capri and Varenna facilities, untrained staff had to improvise as emergency plans and keys for vans were locked away in administrative offices. More than 100 residents were almost left behind as the fire closed in.
Stories of older adults struggling in wildfires demonstrate dangerous systematic gaps in disaster preparedness and response.
A revised emergency plan was put into place, and in 2019, another fire threatened the region. Even though the residents of the facilities were successfully evacuated, the shelters were not properly equipped to meet their needs. The constant moving was disorienting, making it difficult for residents with dementia and other cognitive conditions to ground themselves, and increasing the burden for responders and shelter staff.
Similarly, during the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California’s history, the average age of the 85 who died was 72. Many were unable to evacuate in time as a result of lack of mobility and quick moving fires.
These issues persist beyond wildfires. In Hurricane Katrina, researchers predict that almost half of the around 1,800 deaths were of people ages 75 and older. During Hurricane Ian, almost two-thirds of the 150 deaths were in those ages 65 and older. During the Texas Winter Storm, around 60% of the almost 250 deaths were for people ages 60 and older.
These statistics paint a picture of disproportionate vulnerability for older victims during natural disasters. Emergency planning often assumes a certain level of mobility, health, and technological prowess that excludes many older adults.
For many older adults, their home and personal belongings were the culmination of their life’s hard work. For others on fixed incomes like SSI or Social Security, these types of sudden emergencies come as an intense financial shock as they must find new ways to support their basic needs.
Lack of internet access or a cell phone prevents transmission of essential evacuation information. This could be a result of unaffordable service or barrier to entry with respect to digital literacy. Missed alerts for incoming disasters like earthquakes and extreme weather events increases older residents’ vulnerability.
Finally, the aftermath of disasters can be disproportionately hurtful toward older survivors. Particularly in Los Angeles, the aftermath of the wildfires and recovery efforts will be tremendously difficult. The indirect death toll as a result of toxic smoke will hit hardest the older adults who are immunocompromised or have chronic conditions.
Environmental stressors will change dramatically after natural disasters and impact the body in different ways. At a biological level, a younger person’s response to dramatic changes in temperature is more resilient and adaptable compared to what happens in older people’s bodies. This increased impact of wear-and-tear makes it harder for older adults to adjust to these external stressors.
‘The aftermath of disasters can be disproportionately hurtful toward older survivors.’
Many older adults may lack the flexibility or income to create an emergency savings account or afford insurance for their belongings, further holding them back in the recovery phases. Social isolation and cognitive conditions such as dementia only compound these issues. Research shows that older adults with Alzheimer’s or other dementias are at higher risk of death in the months following a hurricane. This could be in part a result of a disruption of their normal routine and access to caregiving and medications.
Community-Driven Solutions
Despite these challenges, communities have created programs and replicable models that serve older adults during challenging disasters.
Following the wildfires in Sonoma County, assisted living facilities created a “buddy system” between residents to help increase accountability during facility-wide emergencies. The city of Berkeley provides incentives for neighborhood groups that work together to prepare and account for older neighbors.
The Red Cross has implemented specific guidance for older adults, including proactively planning who can help with evacuation plans and identifying power sources to operate devices or keep medicines cold. Additionally, the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers home loss assistance and direct housing options for those impacted by natural disasters.
In Japan, a country known for its older population and frequent natural disasters, the national government enforces mandatory registration of residents in need of evacuation assistance and requires municipalities to make individual evacuation plans for those individuals.
While the socioeconomic status of an individual, city or country has a strong impact on resilience and response effectiveness to natural disasters, this does not excuse the exclusion of older adults from preparedness plans.
Advocacy for Inclusive Policies
Ultimately, disaster planning is a tremendously difficult task—with a seemingly infinite number of constantly changing variables—and an infinitesimal budget. As an Angeleno, I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of recognizing the efforts of first responders against the extreme weather circumstances that contributed to these spreading wildfires—an abnormally dry rainy season, strong Santa Ana winds, and copious dry brush. But leadership at the community and policy levels still must undertake the responsibility of actively considering the needs and, more importantly, dignity of older people impacted by disasters.
This includes ensuring that standing plans for emergency preparedness function, technology investments make resources accessible and understandable for older adults, and responders are aware of the needs of those with dementia or other cognitive conditions.
Lois Angelo is a first-year Master of Public Health student at NYU. A graduate of USC, where he studied human development and aging, his work has been published in the USC Daily Trojan, the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Age Equity Alliance and the Journal of Public Health Disasters. As an aspiring geriatrician, Angelo hopes to continue studying intergenerational relationships and ways to effectively combat ageism.
Photo credit: Shutterstock/Matt Gush
