GMR Preparedness and Response
National Network of Libraries of Medicine
Greater Midwest Region
Hardin Library for the Health Sciences600 Newton Road
Iowa City, IA 52242
GMR contact: Jacqueline Leskovec, Network Librarian
Midwest Flooding Resources
From the National Library of Medicine
Aimed at the Professional Workforce:
Floods: Health Information Guide (Syndicated page allows you to embed content on your website)
- Coping with Disasters: Health Information Guide
- Disaster Lit Search: Resources on Power Outages (limit to Spanish translations available)
- Disaster Lit Search: Responder Safety (limit to Spanish translations available)
- Disaster Lit Search: Resources on evacuation and shelters (limit to Spanish translations available)
Aimed at the general Public:
- MedlinePlus Floods (En Español: Inundaciones)
- MedlinePlus Coping with Disasters (En Español: Enfrentarse con desastres)
Additional Resources
- USGS Flood Information: Today's Flood Conditions
- Technical Resources, Assistance Center, and Information Exchange (TRACIE), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Topic Collection: Utility Failures (e.g. blackouts, potable water)
- U.S. Health and Human Services HHS emPOWER Map 3.0 gives every public health official, emergency manager, hospital, first responder, electric company, and community member the power to discover the electricity-dependent Medicare population in their state, territory, county, and ZIP Code
- Healthcare Ready RX Open Map indicates pharmacies open during a disaster
- SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.
- Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing: Text TalkWithUs to 66746; Use your preferred relay service to call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990; TTY 1-800-846-8517
- Spanish Speakers: Call 1-800-985-5990 and press "2"; From the 50 States, text Hablanos to 66746; From Puerto Rico, text Hablanos to 1-787-339-2663 (en Español)
Are You Prepared?
NNLM GMR provides assistance to our members in preparing for, and responding to, disasters or localized emergencies. GMR staff are available to assist with emergency preparedness and response activities, from risk assessment to training and developing a disaster plan.
This guide serves as an online collection of resources and tools that are relevant to disaster and emergency preparedness. If you would like to learn more about emergency preparedness resources, or explore training opportunities that are available through NNLM, please contact us! We are here to assist you in learning about the wealth of biomedical and health information available through the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.
Plain Language Checklist
The Health and Human Service’s (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)and Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently developed a plain language checklist to help emergency responders provide services to individuals with limited English proficiency and individuals with disabilities during response and recovery efforts. The checklist includes recommendations, specific action steps, and resources to assist first responders in providing on-the-ground language assistance and communicating effectively in disasters. Practical tips range from how to identify language needs in a disaster-impacted community to effectively utilizing interpreters. This 2-page checklist synthesizes essential information that responders need to know. It is now available on Disaster Lit.