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Severe weather is growing more common, and the consequences of such weather can be hard for people with developmental disabilities. But one Maryland assisted living community is preparing its residents prepare for such an event.

The non-profit Bayside Community Network in Cecil County provides care for adults with developmental disabilities over the age of 50.

With a $12,000 grant from AARP Maryland, residents at Bayside were able to make their own emergency preparedness kits and learn what to do in a disaster. That includes CPR and first aid classes.

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Jessica Johnson is a grant and fundraising coordinator with Bayside.

"Massive power outages – they can be very traumatic to someone who’s developmentally disabled, having to pack up, move, and leave," said Johnson. "Your medications, the environment that you’re going to, the uncertainty, because our guys thrive in structured environments."

Bayside also used grant money to install a generator, which keeps the community’s kitchen running and temperature-controlled medications protected.

Each of the resident’s kits are tailored to their specific needs. A person with extreme sensory issues, for example, would have a kit with different materials, compared to someone with specific medical needs like diabetes.

Johnson said the more than 100 residents they serve at Bayside can be empowered to take charge during a natural disaster or extreme weather event. It just takes resources and time.

"They can be empowered to be just as responsible and participatory in their own disaster or inclement weather response," said Johnson. "Just given the time, the resources, the tools and the education, they can be in charge in their own lives, and it can mitigate a lot of disaster itself."

According to the University of Maryland-College Park, more natural disasters are being spurred by climate change.