Hurricane and Flooding Response Resources

Hurricane Resources

• CDC Emergency Partners Information Connection (EPIC) | Conference Calls & Webinars
• Hurricane Safety | Tips & Resources
• National Hurricane Center | Website

Flood Recovery

Resources to Protect and Restore Community Health

When flood waters recede, communities are often left with contaminated water supplies, nonfunctioning septic tanks, mold, increased vectors and pests, spoiled food, and temporary shelters and housing. Ensuring the proper information reaches community members and supports environmental health professionals is essential in the efforts to restore communities and protect public health. The following resources provide best practices around flood recovery related to environmental health.

Risk Assessment Tools

• Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA): Guidance for conducting a THIRA at all levels of government
• Operational Plans: Guidance for creating these plans
• National Incident Management Systems (NIMMS): Systematic, proactive approach to guide organizations in managing all types of incidents
• HURREVAC is the decision support tool of the National Hurricane Program, administered by FEMA, the USACE, and the NOAA National Hurricane Center

Private Wells and Septic Systems

• Flooding Preparedness and Response for Private Water Systems | Webpage
• Preparedness & Response for Septic Systems | Toolkit

Environmental Public Health Resources

• Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods | FDA
• WASH Emergency Communication Resources | CDC
• Water Sanitation & Hygiene for Flood Waters | CDC
• Mold Clean-up After Floods | U.S. EPA
• Rebuild Healthy Homes: Guide to Post-disaster Restoration for a Safe and Healthy Home | HUD, Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy Homes
• Infection Prevention and Control for Shelters During Disasters | APIC Emergency Preparedness Committee

Community Resources

• Before and After Flood factsheet, available in Arabic, Burmese, Chinese, English, French, Nepali, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, and Vietnamese | Vermont
• Hospital Assessment and Recovery Guide | AHRQ

Drinking Water

• Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water | U.S. EPA
• FAQs on When and How to Boil Water | Downlaod From CDC
• Drinking Water Treatment Emergency Procedures | University of Nebraska