Each year, National Hurricane Preparedness Week encourages people across the U.S. to start preparing for hurricane season, which occurs from May to November. The daily themes for this year are: May 5: Know Your Hurricane Risk (https://www.weather.gov/wrn/hurricane-preparedness)…
This blog post was written by: Dr. Sarah Taft, Division Director (Acting) for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Homeland Security Research Center Large-scale disruptions from intentional chemical, biological, and radiological contamination events, natural disasters like…
In the days since thunderstorms and heavy rains inundated parishes throughout southern Louisiana, the magnitude of the resulting flooding has grown more apparent. As of August 17, the death toll had risen to 13, twelve parishes were declared disaster areas,…
The recent flooding event in West Virginia serves as a sad reminder that natural disasters can strike at any time. To ensure our local health departments have the information necessary to facilitate recovery in a situation like this, we would…
The New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response released scenario-specific response guides. With input from their community partners, they created 10 Individual and Family Response Guides that provide…
A new calculation by scientists estimates that natural disasters around the globe have resulted in roughly $7 trillion in economic losses since 1900. Their research also ascribes more than 8 million deaths to natural disasters.…
By Dr. Swannie Jett, DrPH, MSc, NACCHO President and Health Officer for the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County It only takes one storm to change your community. Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 15–21, is…
Below is the outlook for Spring 2016 in the United States from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). For more about flood safety, visit http://www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/. Overview According to NOAA’s U.S. Spring Outlook released on March…
This is part of a series of interviews with local health department staff who will present at the 2016 Preparedness Summit. Lisa Vajgrt-Smith, Medical Reserve Corps Coordinator, Contra Costa Medical Reserve Corps, previews her session, “Strategic…
Severe weather – including tornadoes, flooding, snow, and ice – ravaged many southern and mid-western states over the Christmas holiday weekend. NACCHO would like to extend our sympathies to the families who lost loved ones…