CDC Responds to Hurricane 2008 Season
This information is current as of September 14, 2008.
CDC is working with state and local governments, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other federal agencies to help communities recover from Hurricane Ike, which made landfall this past weekend.
In response to Hurricane Ike and the flooding it has caused, CDC has sent over 70 experts to Texas and Louisiana. These experts include key management officials who are working with state and local response officials. Many of these staff are working in federal medical stations, which are mobile units that provide medical care for evacuees with special needs. Stations are currently set up in Alexandria and Baton Rouge, Louisiana and San Antonio, College Station, and Dallas/Forth Worth, Texas.
In addition, CDC is working closely with federal, state, and local partners to distribute information on how to recover safely after hurricanes and flooding, and how to prepare for future storms. Recovering safely includes protecting personal health and preventing injury.
There are many things you can do to stay safe while recovering from a storm.
After a storm, follow instructions from local public health authorities.
Stay indoors until the authorities declare it is safe to go outside.
Stay away from damaged buildings until building inspectors say they are safe.
Constantly watch your children to prevent them from playing in or around water. It doesn't take long and it doesn't take much water for young children to drown.
Follow local advisories about the safety of your water supply.
Use only bottled, boiled, or treated water for drinking, cooking, food preparation, and hand washing.
Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute to kill harmful bacteria and parasites.
If you cannot boil your water, add 1/8 tsp of household chlorine bleach, which should kill most organisms.
Avoid driving through flooded areas, especially when the water is moving fast.
Slow down and drive at a speed that is safe for road and weather conditions.
Be alert for broken stop lights and missing street signs.
Previous Updates
- September 12, 2008
- September 11, 2008
- September 10, 2008
- September 9, 2008
- September 8, 2008
- September 5, 2008
- September 4, 2008
- September 3, 2008
- September 2, 2008
- August 31, 2008
More Information
For more information about how to stay safe before, during and after hurricanes, please visit emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes.
- Page last updated September 14, 2008
- Content source: CDC Emergency Communication System (ECS), Division of Health Communication and Marketing (DHCM), National Center for Health Marketing (NCHM)
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