Hurricane
A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety
Hurricane Andrew and
Iniki in 1992 and Hugo in 1989 disrupted the lives of thousands of
people. While nothing can be done to stop hurricanes, there are actions
you can take to help maintain your personal health and safety during and
after a hurricane. This pamphlet provides information to help you
prepare for, react to, and recover from the impacts of a hurricane, and
maintain your physical and mental health in the days and weeks following
the storm.
This information is
provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
cooperation with state and local health departments. It includes general
guidelines for prevention of disease and injury. However, some
recommendations may vary from state to state. Please contact your state
health department for health advisories or recommendations that are
specific to local conditions. |
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Hurricane Disasters
As population growth
continues along vulnerable coastal areas in the United States, more and
more people face the potential hazards that result from a hurricane.
Today, approximately 75 million people live within 50 miles of potential
hurricane zones.
Some climatologists
are concerned that hurricane activity affecting the coastal areas of the
United States may increase because of the climatic changes now occurring
in Western Africa. Similar climatic changes occurred from 1940 to 1950.
During that period, there were three direct hurricane strikes in the
greater Miami metropolitan area, one in the Tampa region, one near New
Orleans, and one on the Gulf coast of Texas.
The greatest natural
disaster in history occurred on September 8, 1900, when a hurricane
struck Galveston, Texas, killing more 6,000 people. Fortunately, as
hurricane forecasting, emergency response plans, evacuation procedures,
and the training of public health workers have improved in this century,
the loss of human life has been greatly reduced. In 1992, while
Hurricane Andrew caused an estimated $20 billion in property damage in
Florida and Louisiana, the human toll was 41 people. While each life
lost is one too many, the only way to reduce the human cost of a
hurricane is with adequate preparation.
This pamphlet
provides information to help you maintain your personal health and
safety and prevent injury if a hurricane should strike your area.
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