Keeping insulin cold is a pressing concern for Ana Reyes when the electricity goes out.

For the Santa Maria, California, resident, an outage threatens more than household conveniences, according to KSBY.

Here's what to know

Emergency officials are urging residents who depend on refrigerated medication or electric medical devices to plan ahead for outages. 

The warning comes as El Niño threatens stronger storms along California's Central Coast.

"When the power is out, sometimes the freezer has some ice or stuff like that. It's the only way we can keep it a little bit, you know, cold," Reyes explained. 

"But other than that, that's a problem."

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For residents whose medications must stay cold, supplies need to be on hand before storms arrive, Stacey Silva, interim director of Santa Barbara County's Office of Emergency Management, told KSBY.

More background

Older adults and people with functional or access needs in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties can get help preparing for emergencies from Access Central Coast, KSBY reported. 

The nonprofit offers personalized emergency planning for residents with medical needs.

One-on-one meetings, held in person or over Zoom, allow Access Central Coast to help residents build plans around their individual needs. Requests for assistance have increased, said Bradlee Kirkman, the nonprofit's emergency preparedness manager.

Access Central Coast also works with PG&E to link residents to emergency assistance, including during public safety power shutoffs, according to KSBY.

Customers whose medical needs require electricity can enroll in PG&E's Medical Baseline program, which provides extra notice before planned shutoffs.

What can be done?

Taking refrigerated medications along during an abrupt evacuation requires preparation. 

Silva recommends having a small cooler available and ice packs already in the freezer.

Silva identified solar-chargeable generators as one backup option, in addition to those powered by a household electrical connection. Backup power is especially important for people who depend on electric medical devices.

Medications and medical supplies belong alongside other essentials in emergency kits, with the contents selected to meet each person's needs.

Santa Maria offers an emergency-planning checklist for residents with functional or access needs, KSBY noted.

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Residents who need medical essentials during an emergency can get help through a process Santa Barbara County has in place.

"In the event of a large emergency, we have activated our emergency operations centers. We do have a process to assist community members to access medication with refills or other medical devices and equipment," Silva said.

Where can I learn more?

Planning for an outage means thinking ahead to keep medication cold and medical devices running.

• A U.K. utility supplied a backup battery after power cuts interrupted a woman's CPAP.

• In Oregon, customers using medical equipment can receive up to $1,000 for backup power.

• Libraries in San Bernardino, California, will become emergency hubs during shutoffs.

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