SBP and AARP Team Up to Help Older Adults in Rural Communities Prepare for Disasters

Older adults in rural areas often face the highest risks and the fewest resources during disasters. That is why SBP partnered with AARP to help older residents and those who support them get better prepared.

With support from AARP’s Livable Communities Technical Assistance Program (LC-TAP), this collaboration brings preparedness education to those who need it most. Over the past three years, SBP has worked with 19 AARP state offices to provide disaster financial literacy and inclusive planning for older adults and key stakeholders through symposiums convening stakeholders and community leaders, workshops for first responders and emergency service managers, curriculum design, and preparedness and resiliency training for local leaders.

New Mexico: Elevating Readiness in Rural Communities

A three-year partnership between AARP New Mexico and SBP began with a clear goal: reach small, rural communities often left out of traditional disaster planning. AARP hosted in-person Disaster Readiness Symposiums in places where emergency services are often volunteer-led and under-resourced, with the goal of educating community leaders across sectors in these regions and to jumpstart stronger coordination.

“Because we are in a landlocked state, oftentimes we feel immune from natural disasters,” said Joseph Roybal-Sanchez, AARP New Mexico State Director. “New Mexico has always had fires, but nothing like what we saw during the Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire in 2022.”

The Hermits Peak wildfire became the largest in New Mexico’s history in a year that recorded the state’s worst fire season. Roybal-Sanchez saw a need to better support small, rural communities, especially those without paid fire departments or full-time emergency managers. 

“What I wanted to do was try and figure out ways to help prepare and educate local communities,” he said. For the Disaster Preparedness symposiums, “We invited first responders at all levels—not large urban fire departments, but smaller-scale communities that might not have all the resources.”

The in-person events were held in places like San Miguel County, near areas hit hard by wildfire and post-fire flooding. “When you talk about asking people to leave rural communities, many of them wear multiple hats,” Roybal-Sanchez said. “So we couldn’t ask for more than a day of their time. But I think it was well received.”

In 2025, the focus will shift from responders to individual residents, with a short webinar series aimed at helping households get prepared before the next wildfire season. “We learned that many people didn’t have even the basics, like a recovery plan,” he said. “My goal is to help them feel confident and able to act quickly when an emergency happens.”

“I hope this brings more awareness. Look out for your aging neighbors. Make sure they have a safe place to go when disaster strikes.”

— 4CASI Executive Director Molly Beseris

Idaho: Sparking Local Action

SBP and AARP Idaho partnered with the Four County Alliance of Southeast Idaho (4CASI) to host a two-part training series that strengthened the capacity of local leaders and households to move beyond emergency basics and build long-term community resilience.

“As small, rural communities, we don’t fear disasters the way others might,” said 4CASI Executive Director Molly Beseris. “We’re inland, so we don’t worry about tornadoes or hurricanes. Around here, [the thing we] really worry about is forest fires—but are we prepared for those?”

The SBP/AARP/ 4CASI sessions helped local leaders recognize gaps in disaster preparedness planning, especially activities to safeguard the needs of vulnerable older adults, such as getting the right insurance coverage or ensuring that recovery resources are pre-positioned in hard to reach areas. “The goal was to strengthen all of southeast Idaho,” Beseris said. “Let’s not just check the box on a mandated plan and throw it on a shelf. Let’s make sure it works for our communities.”

In Oneida County, the training helped inspire a ham radio club that now sends out weekly emergency alerts to ensure residents’ handheld radios are working. “Some of those conversations gave people a push to prepare more seriously,” said Beseris.

Given the rural makeup of much of the state, this year SBP’s partnership with 4CASI and AARP Idaho is shifting focus to support local leaders in moving from planning to action. SBP and 4CASI will create a concise, actionable guide to help county commissioners better use their hazard mitigation plans and identify opportunities for local and state-level investments in disaster preparedness.

“I hope this brings more awareness,” Beseris added. “Look out for your aging neighbors. Make sure they have a safe place to go when disaster strikes.”

A National Model for Local Preparedness

While each state partnership looks different, the objective of the partnership between SBP and AARP is the same: reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience in communities, especially among older adults who may be isolated, limited in mobility, or left out of traditional emergency planning.

Together, AARP and SBP are showing how national support and local leadership can work hand-in-hand to improve disaster preparedness in rural communities.

“In the end, preparedness is about equity,” said AARP New Mexico State Director Roybal-Sanchez. “Everyone, regardless of age, zip code, or income, deserves the tools and information to stay safe.”

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Other SBP/AARP Local Partnership Highlights 

Here are other examples of how SBP is working with AARP state chapters to increase disaster preparedness among older adults.

• Tennessee: After the 2024 tornadoes, SBP supported AARP Tennessee in creating workshops and communication tools for older adults, leading to a new preparedness curriculum for aging-focused organizations across the state.
  
• Houston: Last year, SBP and AARP Houston delivered a webinar series for older adults, caregivers, service providers, and local agencies, and we are now launching a second series focused on communication strategies and enhancing usage of resources like the State of Texas Emergency Assistance Registry (STEAR).
  
• Vermont: SBP worked with AARP Vermont and Montpelier’s Commissions for Recovery and Resilience in 2024 to host an in-person workshop that brought together service and recovery groups to improve long-term recovery planning for older adult communities. This year, we are collaborating, along with state government officials, on a tele-town hall to equip community leaders with key actions to take to advance preparedness in their communities. 

SBP has partnerships with the following AARP state chapters:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• California
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• New Mexico
• New York
• Oklahoma
• Pennsylvania
• Puerto Rico
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• US Virgin Islands
• Vermont
• Washington