Category: flood

Stay Informed: How Scales Help Us Describe Disasters

Palm trees bending in strong winds.

Last year’s Atlantic hurricane season was record-breaking. There were 30 named storms during the 2020 season. Thirteen of those became hurricanes (top winds of 74 mph or greater). Six of those reached Category 3 or higher.(1) Hurricanes are categorized using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Other scales are used by experts to explain and describe Read More >

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Good as Gold Prep Your Health Tips for All Seasons

Golden Girls Day

Some things just age well: jeans, wine, flannel sheets, and The Golden Girls. That’s right, a 1980s sitcom about four single, women living, loving, and laughing together in Miami. It lasted just 180 episodes. Since going off the air in 1992, however, the show has regained some of its luster. So much so, that last Read More >

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Pet Project: 5 Ways to Prep Your Pet for Emergencies

Grey adult cat resting inside a pet carrier.

Your pet is family. Their safety and well-being is a priority for you every day, but have you thought about what you would do with your pet in an emergency? Many people don’t think about being prepared until an emergency is at their doorstep. When disaster strikes, they may choose to ignore evacuation orders because Read More >

Posted on by Casey Barton Behravesh, MS, DVM, DrPH, DACVPM, Director, One Health Office, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases6 CommentsTags , , , , , , , , , ,

After the Storm: 3 Types of Post-Disaster Poisonings to Know, Prepare For

A portable generator placed outside and in a dry area on the ground.

National Poison Prevention Week (March 17-23) was started in 1962 to encourage Americans to “learn of the dangers of accidental poisoning and to take such preventive measures as are warranted by the seriousness of the danger.” Fifty-seven years later, those threats—and probably some new ones—to personal and public health persist. They can also be prepared Read More >

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3 Reasons Why Handwashing Should Matter to You

Unseen woman washing her hands with soap in a sink.

Most of us are familiar with the parental-like voice in the back of our minds that helps guide our decision-making—asking us questions like, “Have you called your grandmother lately?” For many that voice serves as a gentle, yet constant reminder to wash our hands. Handwashing with soap and water is one of the most important Read More >

Posted on by David M. Berendes, PhD, MSPH, Epidemiologist15 CommentsTags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

After the Storm: Helping Kids Cope

A boy and his mother wait to cross the street on their way to school.

Changing schools is hard for any kid. Imagine picking up without any notice and moving to a new school in a brand new place with a different climate, culture, and maybe even a different primary language.  Harder still is the thought of moving because your home and community have been devastated by a major hurricane. Read More >

Posted on by Caitlyn Lutfy, Health Communication Specialist, Emergency Risk Communications Branch1 CommentTags , , , , , , , ,