Connecticut experiences a wide array of seasonal hazards, such as severe winter storms, hurricanes, and floods, and it must also prepare for accidents stemming from man-made disasters, infectious disease, or incidents at the two nuclear power plants located within its region. The effect of Tropical Storm Irene on the East Coast in summer 2011 and a rare October Nor’easter two months later highlighted Connecticut’s susceptibility to a variety of natural/seasonal hazards.
Background
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts that across the globe heat waves will likely become stronger and longer, while heavy precipitation events will become more frequent. In order to make appropriate public health adaptations, local decision makers need tools that aggregate health, weather, and environmental data. By overlaying health and vulnerability metrics on environmental and policy data a local level, officials will better understand the variations between location and risk, thus identifying target communities for interventions.
Heavy rainfall in September 2009 prompted the activation of Emergency Support Function (ESF) 6 and 8 in two counties in Georgia. Emergency preparedness staff supported ESF 6 operations with the Red Cross when shelters opened to over 500 residents for the duration of 3 weeks.
In 2010, Tennessee experienced the worst flooding emergency since 1937. Floods had dramatic effects on Tennessean communities, considering that 52 counties were declared disaster areas. Homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed, and 24 citizens lost their lives.
