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D. PERSONS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS In July of 1989, the Indian River County Department of Emergency Services formed a committee to address people with special medical needs. Since then, the goal of the Special Needs Shelter Program is to provide a safe place for persons requiring medical assistance to temporarily shelter during an evacuation from either a man-made or natural disaster, rather than inundating local hospitals with a large number of people that a specially equipped and staffed shelter could adequately handle. Candidates for the Special Needs Shelter are encouraged to register with our office in advance. The registration process is described in specific detail in Annex V (Emergency Shelter Plan) attached to this document. The average number of residents registered annually for the Special Needs Shelter is 300. The average geographic distribution of special needs registrants is as follows: City of Fellsmere (2%), City of Sebastian (28%), City of Vero Beach (41 %) and the unincorporated area of Vero Beach (33%). E. CLIMATOLOGY Indian River County is affected by its coastal location. Thunderstorms average 80 days a year. Annually, 132 days have rainfall of at least .01 inches on the average, and there are 74 clear days, 159 partly cloudy days, and 132 cloudy days. Annually, we receive approximately 55 inches of rainfall. Sea breezes modify the climate of a narrow coastal belt a few miles wide. The sea breeze quickly reduces high afternoon temperatures and provides a flow of air when one would otherwise not exist. The sea breeze is most prevalent in summer, when winds in the County average 9.4 mph. In addition, the mixing height (thickness of a layer of air resting on the ground surface, in which vigorous vertical mixing occurs) is thickest during the summer and thinnest in the winter. High-risk areas relative to hurricane and flood effects have been identified and designated based on elevation and proximity to coastal waters. Development density of any specific area has been considered in the allocation of shelter space. The vulnerability of nursing homes and congregate care centers to the adverse effect of severe weather, primarily based on elevation and construction, requires special consideration in evacuation plans. The chief industries of the heavily populated east coast are light manufacturing, citrus production and processing, selected service trades, construction, aircraft manufacturing (Piper), real estate, wholesale and retail trade. Indian River County Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan Basic Page 95