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Assessment of the Effectiveness of Current Emergency Preparedness Materials and Communication Channels in Preparing the Survivors of Hurricane Katrina for Impact and Recovery

EPA Grant Number: F6D80520
Title: Assessment of the Effectiveness of Current Emergency Preparedness Materials and Communication Channels in Preparing the Survivors of Hurricane Katrina for Impact and Recovery
Investigators: Arnold, Dodie
Institution: Meharry Medical College
EPA Project Officer: Willett, Stephanie H.
Project Period: September 1, 2006 through September 1, 2008
Project Amount: $74,172
RFA: GRO Fellowships for Graduate Environmental Study (2006)
Research Category: Academic Fellowships , Health Effects , Fellowship - Public Health Sciences

Description:

Objective:

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of current emergency preparedness materials and communication channels in preparing the survivors of Hurricane Katrina for the impact and recovery phase. Key issues in the impact and recovery phases of a hurricane include injury, exposure, and health risk assessments. I will also search for other factors that may be related to the preparedness of survivors during the impact and recovery phases of Katrina.

Objective:

  1. To determine whether or not most residents received hurricane preparedness information BEFORE Katrina.
  2. To determine whether or not most residents received hurricane recovery information AFTER Katrina.
  3. To access the availability of healthcare after Katrina.
  4. To complete a health risk assessment including exposures and injuries.

Approach:

I will use a quantitative self-administered survey that I design specifically for this project. I will select participants from the parishes and counties in Louisiana and Mississippi that were under mandatory evacuation orders for Hurricane Katrina. Due to the limitations posed by a displaced study population convenience sampling will be used.

Expected Results:

It is my hypothesis that Hurricane Katrina demonstrated that current hurricane preparedness guides in Southeast Louisiana and Southern Mississippi do not sufficiently prepare residents for hurricanes nor do they inform residents how to protect their health and prevent injury when they return to their homes to assess damage and make repairs.

Supplemental Keywords:

Hurricane, Katrina, Disaster, Preparedness, Injury, Exposure, , Scientific Discipline, Health, Risk Assessments, Health Risk Assessment, Environmental Monitoring, decision making process, ecological risk assessment, human health risk, community support, emergency preparedness, hurricane, environmental risks

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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