Buchanan co-sponsors bill to improve hurricane warnings for older adults, people with disabilities

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan has co-sponsored a bipartisan bill aimed at improving hurricane warnings and preparedness tools for older adults, people with disabilities and others who may face greater risks during a storm, according to Buchanan’s office.The Fixing Gaps in Hurricane Preparedness Act, H.R. 4563, is led by U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla. It would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to study how groups receive and respond to emergency alerts, Buchanan said.The study would include older adults, people with disabilities, non-English speakers and people in rural and urban communities. NOAA would also evaluate how those groups prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms, then use its findings to develop forecasts, warnings and planning tools.It’s a Record-Setting Hurricane Season!“Every Floridian deserves a warning they can understand and a plan they can follow,” Buchanan said. “When a storm is coming, no one in our community should be l