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PRESS CONTACT: |
Information from the reports on public health response activities can improve understanding of the impact of a major natural disaster and help guide future public health response and recovery efforts.
Since 1995, the Atlantic Basin has been in an active hurricane phase, and the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active on record. The 2005 Atlantic hurricane season also was notable for the wind speed and intensity of the storms produced. The combined effect of death, injury, destruction, and population displacement from Hurricane Katrina was unprecedented in U.S. history. The disaster was compounded when Hurricane Rita made landfall 26 days later. The economic and health consequences of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita extended beyond the Gulf region to affect states and communities across the United States.
PRESS CONTACT: |
Pre-hurricane preparations might potentially reduce the post-hurricane burden on health-care systems by 1) improving tetanus booster vaccination coverage, 2) communicating to residents that tetanus immunization is not required acutely after disasters, and 3) encouraging residents to maintain an emergency travel medical kit with a supply of critical medications.
The Mississippi Department of Health (MDH) asked CDC to help conduct active surveillance at hospital emergency departments (EDs) and federal Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) operation sites in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. On September 4, a team of 17 CDC staff members was deployed to Mississippi to work with MDH and an epidemiology response team from the Florida Department of Health to provide surveillance for injury and illness, looking for public health concerns such as outbreaks of infectious disease or clusters of preventable injury. No major outbreaks were detected, which helped to reassure the MDH and emergency response practitioners and public, allowing attention to be focused on immediate needs such as food, water and shelter. Pre-hurricane preparations might potentially reduce the post-hurricane burden on health-care systems by 1) improving tetanus booster vaccination coverage, 2) communicating to residents that tetanus immunization is not required acutely after disasters, and 3) encouraging residents to maintain an emergency travel medical kit with a supply of critical medications. For optimal monitoring of illness and injury in a post-disaster setting, surveillance should allow for simple, direct electronic data entry of key syndromes of public health concern.
PRESS CONTACT: |
Hurricane Katrina caused widespread devastation in the gulf coast. In Hancock County, Mississippi approximately 36 percent of the homes were destroyed and the remaining population lacked critical household services and continued to be dependent on relief agencies for basic needs more than 3 weeks after landfall.
Three weeks after Hurricane Katrina made landfall over Hancock County, Mississippi, many lacked basic household services such as telephone service (53 percent), electricity (41 percent) and functioning indoor toilet (37 percent). Many residents reported having problems with mosquitoes (49 percent) and trash removal (33 percent). A need for health services was also identified. Thirty-four percent (34 percent) of the households reported having a member who needed medical care, (29 percent) needed prescription refills, and (13 percent) reported emotional distress. As a result of these findings, the Mississippi Department of Health publicized the names and locations of functioning medical care facilities, pharmacies and mental health services. Restoration of debris removal services, restoration of utilities and mosquito control measures were a priority.
PRESS CONTACT: |
Public health resources need to be augmented to address the ongoing health and housing needs of a large population of Hurricane Katrina evacuees with plans to settle in San Antonio, Texas.
More than 10,000 evacuees fleeing Hurricane Katrina arrived in San Antonio, Texas, and several thousand evacuees remained in evacuation centers 2 weeks after the evacuation. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and CDC conducted a needs assessment to help city authorities prepare for evacuees’ future health, housing, and social services needs. This assessment of 1,360 heads of household determined that 51 percent of evacuee households planned to settle in San Antonio. In addition, 42 percent of households had a household member with a chronic medical condition, 28 percent had a member with a physical or mental disability, and 20 percent had a member needing counseling services. These findings helped San Antonio officials plan long-term resources to better assist both current and future evacuee populations.
PRESS CONTACT: |
Portable generators should only be operated outside in an open area far away from the home and away from window air conditioners. In addition, households should have a battery-operated CO detector and make sure it is functioning prior to operating a portable generator.
At least 78 people were poisoned and 10 people died in Alabama and Texas as a result of exposure to carbon monoxide from portable generators after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The CDC, along with the Alabama Department of Public Health and the Texas Department of State Health Services, investigated these poisonings and found that over 50 percent of the poisonings involved generators placed outside, but close to the home. In half of the poisonings, the generator was placed near a window air conditioner, which could potentially bring generator exhaust from outside into the home. Portable generators should only be used outside far from homes and window air conditioners.
PRESS CONTACT: |
Hurricane related deaths are preventable. Addressing the direct and indirect impact of hurricane during preparation, warning, and response period is important to prevent hurricane related deaths.
On August 25, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall between Hallandale Beach and Aventura, Florida, as a Category 1 hurricane. After crossing southern Florida and entering the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane strengthened and made landfall on August 29 as a strong Category 3 hurricane in southeastern Louisiana. To define the impact of the hurricane and to describe the etiology of deaths, CDC in collaboration with Florida and Alabama state health department conducted a review of mortality records of Florida’s Medical Examiners Commission (FMEC) and the Alabama Department of Forensic Science (ADFS). In Florida, the review of death records identified 14 deaths associated with Hurricane Katrina. Further this finding indicated that trauma (drowning, hit by tree of fallen limb, car collision) directly or indirectly related to the hurricane was the leading cause of death, the majority of deaths occurred during the impact phase; the rapid (less than 24 hours) strengthening of Katrina from a tropical storm to a hurricane and the subsequent landfall later the same day might have left many residents unprepared. In Alabama, 24 deaths were identified as indirectly or possibly related to Hurricane Katrina, most of the deaths were attributed to indirect causes, both natural (heart disease, sepsis, seizure etc) and traumatic (gunshot, suicide, car collision); the majority of these were attributed to natural causes exacerbated by the hurricane. Persons with preexisting medical conditions might die when access to care is interrupted. Mental stress associated with evacuation, changes in residence or work, property damage, and loss of human life might increase in communities affected by hurricanes and can lead to suicide in persons with a history of psychological problems. (1) 71 percent of deaths in Florida were as the result of trauma, drowning and carbon monoxide poisoning occurred during impact phase. (2) 54 percent of the deaths in Alabama, which occurred in post impact phase, were attributed by underling heart and neurological problems. (3) 42 percent of deaths in Alabama were related to trauma as a result of gunshot, suicide, car collision and drowning.
PRESS CONTACT: |
Public health resources need to be augmented to address the ongoing health and housing needs of a large population of Hurricane Katrina evacuees with plans to settle in San Antonio, Texas.
More than 10,000 evacuees fleeing Hurricane Katrina arrived in San Antonio, Texas, and several thousand evacuees remained in evacuation centers 2 weeks after the evacuation. The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and CDC conducted a needs assessment to help city authorities prepare for evacuees’ future health, housing, and social services needs. This assessment of 1,360 heads of household determined that 51 percent of evacuee households planned to settle in San Antonio. In addition, 42 percent of households had a household member with a chronic medical condition, 28 percent had a member with a physical or mental disability, and 20 percent had a member needing counseling services. These findings helped San Antonio officials plan long-term resources to better assist both current and future evacuee populations.
PRESS CONTACT: |
From 2000-2004, additional measles immunization activities were offered in 36 of 45 developing countries; 215 million (93 percent) of the 232 million children resident in these 36 countries were vaccinated. Based on results from the surveillance data combined with a natural history model, measles deaths dropped 48 percent globally, from an estimated 871,000 deaths in 1999 to an estimated 454,000 deaths in 2004.
The reduction in deaths was even more dramatic in sub-Saharan Africa, where measles mortality fell 59 percent, from approximately 530,000 deaths in 1999 to approximately 216,000 deaths in 2004. The 45 targeted countries were identified by UNICEF and WHO. The two organizations recently proposed a new goal of reducing measles mortality by 9 percent by 2010.
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Contact Us This page last reviewed March 9, 2006 Centers for
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