Hurricane Sandy: Top Health Concerns and Info Resources
Listed below are a few key resources for each of the current top health concerns related to the Hurricane Sandy aftermath. Some materials are available in Spanish and other languages. Also check LOCAL government agencies, media, and social media which are very active in distributing health messages.
Top concerns are:
- Cold weather safety and hypothermia
- Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Flood waters in buildings
- Clean drinking water
- Healthy living in shelters
- Prescription Drugs
- Clean-up precautions
- Mental health issues
- Health and safety for responders and volunteers
COLD WEATHER SAFETY AND HYPOTHERMIA
- Hypothermia http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hypothermia.html. Also in Spanish.
- Winter Weather Emergencies http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/winterweatheremergencies.html. Also in Spanish.
- Winter Weather Emergencies – Multiple Languages [Page title "Weight Loss Surgery" will be corrected.] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/winterweatheremergencies.html
CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/carbonmonoxidepoisoning.html. Also in Spanish.
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning – Multiple Languages http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/carbonmonoxidepoisoning.html
FLOOD WATERS IN BUILDINGS
- Floods http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/floods.html. Also in Spanish.
- Floods – Multiple Languages http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/languages/floods.html
- Floods http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/floods.html. Some resources in Spanish.
CLEAN DRINKING WATER
- Private wells: What to do after the flood http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/well/whatdo.cfm. Also in Spanish and Vietnamese.
- Boil water advisories (Sandy-affected states that are not listed do not currently have advisories.)
- Connecticut: Public Drinking Water Systems Under Boil Water Advisory http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3115&q=513298
- New Jersey: Water Systems Subject to a Boil Water Advisory http://www.nj.gov/dep/special/hurricane-sandy/boil_water.htm
- New York: Drinking Water Advisories Following Hurricane Sandy http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/boilwater/sandy/index.htm
HEALTHY LIVING IN SHELTERS
- Food and Water Safety and Hand Hygiene Resources http://www.emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/handhygiene.asp. Also in Spanish, Vietnamese, French, and Haitian Creole.
- Infection Control Guidance for Community Evacuation Centers Following Disasters http://emergency.cdc.gov/disasters/commshelters.asp
- Personal Hygiene and Handwashing After a Disaster or Emergency http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/sanitation.asp. Also in Spanish.
- Clean Hands Save Lives: Emergency Situations http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/handhygienefacts.asp. Also in Chinese, Spanish, French, Haitian Creole and Vietnamese.
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS: REPLACING AND FILLING PRESCRIPTIONS
- Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP) http://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/planning/epap/Pages/default.aspx
- Safe Drug Use After a Natural Disaster http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/ucm085200.htm. Also in Spanish.
CLEAN-UP PRECAUTIONS
- Disaster Recovery and Environmental Health http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/disasterrecovery.html. Some resources in Spanish.
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES
- Coping with Disasters http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/copingwithdisasters.html. Also in Spanish.
- Disaster Distress Helpline: 1-800-985-5990 http://disasterdistress.samhsa.gov/. Also in Spanish.
HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR RESPONDERS AND VOLUNTEERS
- Floods – Worker and Responder Safety http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/dimrc/floods.html#a3
- Hurricanes – Worker and Responder Safety: http://disasterinfo.nlm.nih.gov/enviro/hurricane.html#a3
- Hurricane Sandy Response and Recovery 2012 – Safety Information for Responders and Clinicians: http://phe.gov/emergency/events/Pages/sandy-midatlantic-2012.aspx#responders
Submitted by Cindy Love
Disaster Information Management Research Center
Specialized Information Services Division
National Library of Medicine
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892-5467
cindy_love@nlm.nih.gov
