Hurricane Information

With meteorologists predicting multiple hurricanes before the end of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season, faculty members at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston have advice that can help coastal residents weather a storm. Faculty members are available for media interviews on disaster preparedness, traumatic injuries associated with storms and a host of other storm-related issues. Interviews can be arranged by calling the Media Hotline at 713-500-3030.

UT faculty members offer hurricane preparedness tips

HOUSTON - (June 23, 2009) - With up to 14 named storms expected during the 2009 hurricane season, faculty and staff of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston say that those who are potentially in harm's way should begin preparing now.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 through the end of November.

From their first-hand experience dealing with the onslaught and devastation of last year's Hurricane Ike, these healthcare experts advise developing an evacuation plan for the vulnerable and being prepared to deal with days, perhaps weeks, without power and services.

"The historical rule of thumb was to plan for self-sufficiency for three days," said Robert Emery, DrPH, vice president of safety, health, environment and risk management at the heath science center. But based on the experience gained from Hurricane Ike, where widespread power outages affected large areas for extended periods, he suggests accumulating enough supplies to last at least a week.

Those supplies, said Emery, should include non-perishable food, water, batteries, prescription medications and a first-aid kit. Extra gasoline should be stored in a safe place away from any open flame, such as the pilot light from a water heater. Residents also need to have a way to receive important safety information from authorities.

Experts suggest:

• A gallon of water per day per person (about a week's worth)
• Seven-day supply of all daily medications.
• First-aid kit (check for expired contents.)
• Readily consumable food that doesn't require cooking
• Handheld can opener
• Thick-soled shoes, preferably rubber-soled or rubber boots
• Rain gear and sturdy work gloves
• Fresh batteries, flashlights and portable radio
• Charged cell phone and charger for both car and home
• Duct tape
• A reasonably full gas tank during hurricane months
• Fire extinguisher that has been recently tested

People with disabilities may need to take additional precautions such as stocking an adequate amount of medical supplies, said Lex Frieden, a professor of health informatics at The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston.

"Several people whose lives depend on electrically-powered ventilation devices nearly died when their backup gasoline generators ran out of gas after Hurricane Ike," said Frieden, who had to recharge his electrical wheelchair at a grocery store when his power went out during Ike.

People with disabilities, seniors and others who may need evacuation assistance are encouraged to sign up early with any official registries, such as the 2-1-1 information service available in the Houston area, said Frieden, who is also senior vice president at TIRR Memorial Hermann. Operators on the 2-1-1 line help residents complete a registration form to determine their particular needs. Emergency responders can access this information in the event of an evacuation.

"It is important that the needs of vulnerable adults be part of any disaster preparedness plan," said Carmel Dyer, M.D., professor and director of the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. "Memory and/or physical impairments may make planning and evacuation difficult or even impossible without help from family or community members."

Patients with chronic medical needs such as dialysis need to have a plan to evacuate because it is difficult to receive treatment in a city without power. Many showed up at Houston area emergency rooms seeking treatment, according to James McCarthy, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine at the medical school and medical director of the Emergency Center at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.

Preparing for and cleaning up from hurricanes comes with dangers. UT emergency medicine physicians at Memorial Hermann-TMC and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital treated hundreds of Houston and Galveston area residents who suffered traumatic injuries just before and after the hurricane. The most common injuries were caused by falls from roofs or ladders, chain-saw accidents and falling trees.

Generators come with their own potentially deadly problems. While they can provide much-needed power during an outage, research by Caroline Fife, M.D., an associate professor at the UT Medical School at Houston, revealed that after Hurricane Ike some children suffered carbon monoxide poisoning because of poorly ventilated generators. The generators, some of which were being used to power video games, were inside the homes or attached garages. All of the patients in her research were treated at Memorial Hermann-TMC, the only hospital in Houston with a hyperbaric oxygen treatment center that can be used for patients with carbon monoxide poisoning.

For more hurricane preparedness information, visit: http://www.uthealthleader.org/archive/disaster_preparedness/2004/hurricanehandbook-0607.html.

Faculty members available for interviews

To schedule interviews, please call the Media Relations Team at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The 24/7 media hotline is 713-500-3030.

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Robert Emery, DrPH, vice president of safety, health, environment and risk management at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, is available to discuss the university's disaster preparation efforts, which included the installation of flood doors at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston to prevent flooding in the aftermath of the Tropical Storm Allison. Emery, who is also an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at The University of Texas School of Public Health, can address safety issues associated with hurricane preparations.

VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

Lex Frieden and Kim Dunn, M.D., Ph.D., both on the faculty of The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston, organized the Disability Emergency Assistance Project to help people with disabilities affected by Hurricane Ike. The project continues in conjunction with the Houston Department of Health and Human Services to provide relocation and other assistance to people with disabilities. People with disabilities can also access a Web site called www.disability911.com for disaster preparedness advice.

Carmel B. Dyer, M.D., professor and director of the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, led a team of healthcare workers who devised a rapid needs assessment tool, Seniors Without Families Triage (SWiFT), for evacuees who arrived at the Houston Astrodome after Hurricane Katrina. She also testified before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging about disaster preparedness for seniors. She can speak about what seniors and health providers need to know before a disaster hits, as well as what to do in the aftermath of a major event.

DIETARY NEEDS DURING OUTAGES

Donna Logan, registered dietitian with The University of Texas Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, can address planning for the family's nutritional needs following a storm, how much food and water to have on hand, healthy options for the pantry, and food safety issues following power outages. For more information on emergency preparedness for families, visit http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/f&web.pdf.

NURSING FACILITIES AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Diane Persson, Ph.D., program manager of the Center on Aging at The University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston, says some nursing facilities and assisted living facilities in Texas were not fully prepared for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She surveyed facilities across the Lone Star State and reported her findings in a Journal of Gerontological Nursing article titled Surviving the Storms: Emergency Preparedness in Texas Nursing Facilities and Assisted Living Facilities

CHILDBIRTH DURING TIME OF CRISIS

Pamela Berens, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, can address concerns for women who are near the end of their pregnancy when a storm is approaching. She can answer questions about what supplies women need to have on-hand, what to do if they are evacuating to another city and what to do if they go into labor during a storm.

Alisa Sanders, R.N., a board-certified lactation consultant, can address the nutritional needs of infants and women who are breastfeeding. For more information on nursing during an emergency, visit http://www.aap.org/breastfeeding/files/pdf/InfantNutritionDisaster.pdf. Sanders is with The University of Texas Women, Infants, Children (WIC) Program at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston.

TRAUMA INJURIES ASSOCIATED WITH HURRICANES

Richard N. Bradley, M.D., chief of EMS and Disaster Medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, can discuss hurricane preparation injuries which include falls from ladders as well as mishaps with power tools.

Brent King, M.D., professor and chairman of emergency medicine at The University of Medical School at Houston, can address the types of traumatic injuries suffered by people while cleaning up after a hurricane. Some people experience cuts or puncture wounds while moving storm debris. Others may experience strains or sprains.

James McCarthy, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and medical director of the Emergency Center at Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center, can address hurricane-related emergency rooms visits. Visits range from complications of evacuation such as heat stroke and heart attacks to injuries from the storm itself, such as flying debris and exposure. He can also discuss injuries related to storm clean-up such as chain saw mishaps, as well as carbon monoxide poisoning from generator usage. McCarthy also can talk about patients with chronic medical needs such as dialysis, diabetes and asthma who arrive at the emergency room after the local infrastructure is damaged.

CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AND GENERATORS

Caroline Fife, M.D., associate professor of medicine at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and an attending physician at Memorial Hermann - Texas Medical Center, can address generator misuse that sent some children to a hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning following Hurricane Ike. Some were playing video games with generators close by. To read the study, click Dying to Play Video Games: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning From Electrical Generators Used After Hurricane Ike. All of the patients were treated at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, the only hospital in Houston with a hyperbaric oxygen treatment center that is capable of treating patients with carbon monoxide poisoning.

PUBLIC HEALTH THREATS

Herbert DuPont, M.D., is a professor of infectious diseases and director of the Center for Infectious Diseases at The University of Texas School of Public Health. With over 30 years of experience, DuPont can address infectious diseases that may arise in the aftermath of a hurricane.

Kristy Murray, DVM, Ph.D., a former CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, is assistant professor of epidemiology at The University of Texas School of Public Health. She is able to discuss vector borne diseases which include West Nile, dengue, and other bacterial and viral diseases. Vectors include mosquitoes and ticks.

Thomas Stock, Ph.D., is associate professor of environmental sciences at The University of Texas School of Public Health. Stock is available to discuss indoor and outdoor air quality, specifically problems of using combustion devices such as gasoline-powered generators inside or even near open windows.

Irina Cech, Ph.D., is a professor of environmental sciences at The University of Texas School of Public Health. Cech is able to discuss hurricane precaution, water quality, water contamination and health risks. Cech can also speak on emergency measures and post-hurricane clean-up for users of rural/domestic water wells.

PARENTING DURING TIME OF CRISIS

Michael Assel, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, has advice for parents on how to talk with their children about an approaching hurricane, the need to shelter-in-place or evacuate and dealing with the aftermath of a storm. Assel is a child psychologist at the university's Children's Learning Institute.