CDC Responds to Hurricane 2008 Season

This information is current as of September 22, 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. Ike made U.S. landfall on the Gulf Coast on Saturday, September 13 and moved across the Midwest as a Tropical Storm.

Currently, about 75% of power has been restored to customers in Texas and Louisiana. Across the nation over 6 million people have experienced power outages directly related to the recent storms and flooding. The storm also displaced people across Caribbean countries, particularly in Haiti and Cuba.
CDC is directly involved in recovery efforts in Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, and Haiti. The agency has deployed medical doctors, key emergency management officials, and environmental health professionals to work with state and local officials, HHS, and FEMA in those states to address critical health threats. In Texas, CDC and partners are operating 4 Federal Medical Stations, which provide medical and pharmaceutical care to evacuees.

CDC is monitoring reports from hospitals across the U.S. and has found that many people have gone to hospitals because they are experiencing extreme physical and emotional exhaustion in the wake of multiple recent hurricanes and tropical storms. There are many things people can do to avoid becoming overwhelmed physically and emotionally. If possible, set priorities for cleanup tasks, pace yourself and try not to work alone. Ask family members, friends, or professionals for support and, if needed, seek professional help.

In addition to taking steps to avoid physical and emotional exhaustion, there are other things people can do to stay healthy and safe during recovery. It is especially important to learn how to prevent injuries during cleanup, eat clean food and drink clean water, and avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

To stay safe and healthy during and after a storm:

After a disaster, it’s important to prevent injuries during cleanup.

Never touch a downed power line.
When using a chain saw to cut tree limbs, keep the chain saw at waist level or below to improve your control of the saw.
If possible, use flashlights or other battery-operated lights instead of candles.

Drink clean, safe water and eat safe, uncontaminated food.

Listen for water reports from local authorities to find out if your water is safe for drinking and bathing.
Throw away any food and bottled water that may have come in contact with flood or storm water.
If an advisory has been issued concerning contaminated water, use only bottled, boiled, or treated water for drinking, cooking, food preparation, and hand washing.

Avoid Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning after a disaster.

Generators, grills, camp stoves, or other gasoline or charcoal-burning devices produce carbon monoxide gases that kill.
Always use these devices outdoors, far away from windows, doors and vents. If you are storing a generator indoors, make sure to move it outdoors before using.
Pressure washers and other gasoline powered tools also give off high levels of CO and should be used outdoors.

Previous Updates

More Information

For more information about how to stay safe before, during and after hurricanes, please visit emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes.

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Page last updated September 22, 2008
Content source: CDC Emergency Communication System (ECS), Division of Health Communication and Marketing (DHCM), National Center for Health Marketing (NCHM)