Hurricane Katrina made landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana on 29 August 2005, with sustained wind speeds of approximately 200 km/h. Katrina submerged 80% of the city under water. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services quickly declared a public health emergency. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declared an area roughly equivalent to the size of the United Kingdom as a disaster area.

The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization are collaborating with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) at the federal and state levels and with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), providing technical collaboration in a number of public health areas.

Almost four weeks later, Hurricane Rita dealt another devastating blow to the same area, causing flooding to reoccur in New Orleans and other low-lying areas of the state of Louisiana. This time, however, the state of Texas suffered the direct brunt of the storm. The fact that several million people chose to heed evacuation warnings may have contributed to the reduced death toll.

Health Effects of Disasters

	Natural Disasters: Protecting the Public's Health PAHO’s flagship publication on managing the health effects of disasters, it has been translated into several languages.
	Management of Dead Bodies A PAHO/WHO manual that calls attention to this disaster management issue and encourages authorities to make it part of disaster plans and a key component of humanitarian assistance.
	Management of dead bodies after natural disasters The draft version of a new PAHO/WHO/ICRC field operations manual for first responders.
	Humans Remain Identification Information Form.
	Missing Persons Data Form (these forms, still in draft form, will comprise part of the field manual.)
	Humanitarian Supply Management and Logistics in the Health Sector These guidelines on basic aspects of the logistics of humanitarian supply management describe proper handling of supplies at each level of the logistics "chain." Some procedures are based on standards adopted by international organizations and others are the product of experience gained in the field.
	Disaster Mitigation in Health Facilities--Wind Effects Focuses on reducing the vulnerability of structural elements in hospitals and health facilities and non-structural elements (windows, shelving, etc.) and those special functions such as communication networks.
	Environmental Health in Emergencies and Disasters This volume distills what is known about environmental health during an emergency or disaster. It draws on results from the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, and on experience with sustainable development between the two Earth Summits, in Rio de Janeiro and Johannesburg. The volume is intended for practitioners, as well as for policy makers and researchers, and thus covers both general and technical aspects of environmental health.

Links

	ReliefWeb As the world’s leading on-line gateway to information on humanitarian emergencies and disasters, ReliefWeb is administered by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). List of updated news and press releases on Hurricane Katrina.
	CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has remained at the forefront of public health efforts to prevent and control infectious and chronic diseases, injuries, workplace hazards, disabilities, and environmental health threats. The CDC Foundation, the non-profit partner of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is seeking donations for the Emergency Preparedness & Response Fund. Contributions to the fund will aid CDC and the network of U.S. state and local health departments involved in the public health response to Hurricane Katrina. The CDC Foundation is using the fund to help meet immediate public health needs as well as to help plan for the long term public health needs of the region. Contributions can be made online at www.cdcfoundation.org or by calling toll free, 1-888-880-4CDC.
	Department of Health and Human Services HHS is the United States government's principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.
	FEMA The Federal Emergency Management Agency is tasked with leading U.S. efforts to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident.
	U.N. News Center News from the UN on the response to Katrina.
	American Red Cross Red Cross disaster relief focuses on meeting people's immediate emergency disaster-caused needs. When a disaster threatens or strikes, the Red Cross provides shelter, food, and health and mental health services to address basic human needs. In addition to these services, the core of Red Cross disaster relief is the assistance given to individuals and families affected by disaster to enable them to resume their normal daily activities independently.
	National Hurricane Center
	CRID's Complete List of Disaster Links
	CRID Information Kit on Hurricanes
	U.S. National Library of Medicine Links to health information including toxicology and environmental health
	International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): In an effort to help restore family links, the ICRC - in close cooperation with the American Red Cross offers services to all those seeking information about relatives who may have been affected by hurricane Katrina.

Public Service Announcements

PAHO Produces Spanish-Language Radio Spots for the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

These ten 1-minute spots, produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), can be freely used by interested radio stations:

Children	Adolescents	Adults	Water	Food
Illnesses	Diabetes	Pets	Drug Safety	Carbon Monoxide

Rapid Needs and Assessment Forms

PAHO/WHO’s Disaster Response Team in Latin America and the Caribbean uses the forms below to standardize the early collection of data on damage and needs in the health sector following disasters. They can be modified as needed.

	General Health Sector Damage Assessment Form
	Health Facilities/Services Damage Assessment Form
	Environmental Health Assessment Form
	Daily Shelter Surveillance Form
	Daily Health Facility Surveillance Form
	Guidelines for Preparing Report of Health Needs Assessment

Press Releases

United Nations Assistance for United States Relief Efforts

(New York, 6 September): The United Nations has initially mobilized three inter-agency teams to work on logistics and coordination in conjunction with United States authorities, having been informed on 3 September of the United States’ acceptance of the Organization’s offer of assistance. Read More

Katrina Raises Health Concerns
PAHO Director Offers Help to U.S. Health Secretary Mike Leavitt

Public health experts are evaluating the health impact of hurricane Katrina and its aftermath among survivors in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. (01 September 2005) Read More

Disaster Management Tools

	PAHO's Technical Guidelines for Disaster Situations
	Humanitarian Assistance: Guide for Effective Aid
	Media Relations in Emergencies
	Myths and Realities of Natural Disasters

For additional information on natural disasters, please visit the Publications Catalog of the Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Area of the Pan American Health Organization.

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