Duval County sits on the Atlantic coast and along the St. Johns River, and every hurricane season the City of Jacksonville asks residents to know their evacuation zone and make a plan. For a family with an autistic child, that plan has extra pieces: deciding whether to sign up for the city's Special Medical Needs Registry, knowing what a special needs shelter can and cannot offer, and preparing your child for noise, crowds and a broken routine. This guide is local to Jacksonville and Duval County. For the full statewide checklist, read our Florida hurricane preparedness guide for autism families. Facts below come from JaxReady.com, the City of Jacksonville and the Florida Department of Health in Duval County as of October 2026.
What is Jacksonville's Special Medical Needs Registry?
The City of Jacksonville Emergency Preparedness Division keeps a Special Medical Needs Registry for people who may need help evacuating or sheltering in an emergency. Florida law (s. 252.355) requires each county's emergency management agency to keep a registry of people with special needs, including physical, mental, cognitive or sensory disabilities, who would need help during an evacuation.
JaxReady describes eligible clients as people who are medically dependent on electricity for life-supporting equipment, people who need oxygen, and people with "physical, medical, cognitive impairment, or sensory disabilities" who may need basic help from medical professionals. In a February 25, 2025 announcement, the city listed persons with cognitive impairments who need specialized support, including autism, among the residents who should register.
How do I register in Duval County?
- Online: through the registry link on JaxReady. DOH-Duval also points families to the Florida Special Needs Registry at snr.flhealthresponse.com.
- Paper form: download the form in English or Spanish and send it by mail, fax or electronically.
- Phone: call the Emergency Preparedness Division at (904) 255-3172 for help.
JaxReady's tips: use one form per person, print clearly, give a working phone number, include your apartment or unit number, and do not use a P.O. box. Register well before a storm is on the way.
Do I have to register every year?
Yes. JaxReady says each client must re-register every year to stay in the system, and the city sends a reminder at the start of the calendar year by email, phone and mail. Put it on your calendar for January along with your other yearly paperwork, such as insurance reauthorizations.
Does registering guarantee a spot in a special needs shelter?
No. A health care professional reviews each registration form and sorts it by the type of help needed, and you are told by email or mail whether you are accepted. The Florida Department of Health in Duval County (DOH-Duval), which manages the city's special medical needs shelters, says plainly that "people with disabilities are not required to go to a Special Needs Shelter," and that some people with disabilities can be safely housed in a general population shelter.
Special needs shelter eligibility is mostly medical. DOH-Duval lists people who need oxygen, uninterrupted power for a prescribed medical device, help with daily activities because of a chronic condition, limited nursing care, or care beyond basic first aid. Many autistic children without those medical needs will be referred to another option, such as a general shelter. It is still worth registering and calling (904) 255-3172 to talk through your child's needs, because the registry also tells emergency managers that your household may need help.
What does a special medical needs shelter provide?
JaxReady says amenities are limited to "basic nursing assistance, first-aid care, bathroom facilities, food and water," and calls these shelters "refuges of last resort." Other points from JaxReady and DOH-Duval:
- A caregiver or family member must go to the shelter with the registrant. Florida law lets caregivers and the people they care for shelter together.
- Childcare is not provided. You supervise your children the whole time.
- Only regular meals are provided, so bring foods for any special diet. For a child with a limited diet, pack the foods your child will actually eat.
- Service animals are permitted in all shelters. Pets go only to pet-friendly shelters, and transportation for pets is not provided.
- Shelters can be crowded with little privacy. Smoking and alcohol are not allowed.
- Shelter locations can change from year to year. Do not go to a shelter until officials announce that it is open.
What about transportation?
During an evacuation, JaxReady says a Department of Health representative contacts eligible registered clients to confirm their plans and transportation needs, and clients who need a ride are called to schedule a pickup. After the storm, clients are returned home the same way once officials confirm the home is safe. DOH-Duval advises people who need transportation to register as soon as the need becomes clear, not when a storm is already close.
How do evacuation zones work in Duval County?
Duval uses lettered evacuation zones A through F. JaxReady says Zone A is the most vulnerable, including manufactured and mobile homes, and is among the first asked to leave. Zone F is different: it covers areas likely to flood from rainfall or other hazards. Look up your zone by address with the city's zone finder at maps.coj.net/evsearch, and write the letter on your family plan.
Being outside a zone does not mean you must stay. JaxReady advises: "If you believe your home would be unsafe in a hurricane you should evacuate early." For many autism families, leaving early to a relative's home or a hotel inland is calmer than a shelter. JaxReady also warns that during a mandatory evacuation, driving can take about four times longer than usual, which matters if your child struggles with long car rides.
How will I know which shelters are open?
Local emergency management decides which shelters open for each storm and announces them through the media, social media and the JaxReady app. Sign up for AlertJax, the city's free emergency notification system (powered by Everbridge), which sends alerts about severe weather, flooding and emergencies. You can register online or use the Everbridge app.
How do I prepare my autistic child for a storm or a shelter?
A shelter is loud, bright, crowded and unfamiliar, with no schedule your child knows. Preparation helps, and starting before June gives your child time to practice.
- Use a social story. Write a short story with photos: "Sometimes a big storm comes. We pack our bag. We might sleep somewhere new. Mom stays with me." Read it often in the months before the season. Our hurricane social story guide has a template.
- Pack a sensory go-kit. Noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses or a cap, a weighted lap pad or favorite blanket, chewy or fidget items, a charged tablet with downloaded shows, and a portable battery. See our sensory hurricane go-kit.
- Bring what the shelter will not have. JaxReady's list includes photo ID, all medications, medical supplies and equipment, bedding, warm clothing, hygiene items, important documents, comfort items and cash. Add a copy of your child's diagnosis, a one-page "about me" sheet for strangers (how your child communicates, what calms them, what to avoid), and your child's preferred foods.
- Practice a visual schedule. Make picture cards for "pack," "car," "new place," "sleep," "home." Keep the same morning and bedtime steps you use at home, even on a cot.
- Plan for wandering. New places and open doors raise the risk. Dress your child in a bright shirt, put your phone number on a tag or wristband, take a photo each morning, and tell shelter staff that your child may wander. See our wandering safety plan.
- Agree on a meeting spot. JaxReady suggests every family plan a place to meet if separated and make sure everyone who can is able to call 911.
Ask your child's school or daycare about its storm closure and early pickup plan too; JaxReady recommends keeping their contact information current.
What happens to ABA therapy when a storm hits Jacksonville?
Hope Center for Behavior Change serves Duval County families from our Jacksonville office on Belfort Parkway, with sessions in homes, schools, daycares and the community. When a storm closes our office, we send a mass message, and BCBAs and the front desk call or text families when they know in advance. Families can choose home sessions with their RBT once it is safe. Weekly parent training helps you keep routines going during the days when sessions pause.
After a storm, children often need time to settle. Our guide to restarting ABA after a hurricane covers rebuilding routines, using telehealth for parent training while travel is unsafe, and what to tell your BCBA about changes you noticed. If a BCBA has worked with you before the season, ask whether the treatment plan can include practice with storm-related skills, such as tolerating headphones, following a picture schedule in a new place, or staying with a parent in a crowd.
To learn more about ABA in Duval County, see our Jacksonville ABA page and in-home ABA in Jacksonville. Military families can read about TRICARE ABA in Jacksonville. When you are ready, request a free consultation and benefits check or call 561-337-8865.