STORY BYThis 2011 season, hurricane forecasters predict with a 70 percent probability 12-18 named storms, 6-10 hurricanes and—brace yourselves—3-6 major hurricanes.
Almost three years ago, Hurricane Ike, a Category 2 with a Category 4 storm surge, erased parts of Galveston and Chambers Counties in Texas, claimed over 100 US lives, and ripped 2.6 million people off the electrical grid for weeks.
Five years before, Hurricane Katrina sunk one city and Rita chased another out of town. Eight years before, a tropical storm named Allison washed away everything Houstonians knew about flooding.
Lessons learned: 1) No two storms are alike. 2) Prepare while the sun is shining. (At this writing, the sun is shining.)
“People die in hurricanes, not only from 15-foot storm surges, but from flying debris, spin-off tornados, carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocutions,” says Robert “Safety Bob” Emery, DrPH, vice president for Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
Print this out and keep it handy: this is the combined wisdom of those who have weathered true weather.
For persons with disabilities, the term “natural disaster” rings a whole new set of alarm bells. The UT Houston professor Lex Frieden uses a wheel chair and remembers all too well the swirling, waist-deep waters that flooded his home in 2001 during Tropical Storm Allison.
The launch of the new website www.disability911.com provides essential information to persons with disabilities before, during and after a hurricane, flood or other large-scale event.
Packed with information on disaster preparedness, links to resources, services and life-saving tips, www.disability911.com is a must-review for persons with disabilities, caregivers, and emergency planning and response officials.
The new website is supported by The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences at Houston, Memorial Hermann|TIRR and Baylor College of Medicine.
Long before the weather reports start crawling along the bottom of your TV screen, have these items on hand in your home:
Hurricane Evacuation Map
(Brazoria / Galveston / Harris County)
Hurricane Evacuation Contraflow Plan
(Houston)
Once the National Weather Service has issued a warning and your area must evacuate:
Lessons learned from Rita
If you are one of the million-plus Houstonians who found themselves going nowhere fast during Hurricane Rita, you know what “fleeing in place” means.
It means confidence is high that you will sit in a steaming car in gridlock traffic longer than you had planned if your major city must mass-evacuate. Add these items to your list:
If your area has been advised to shelter in place and/or your neighborhood streets are already flooded or winds make it too dangerous to leave your home:
According to the Red Cross the NOAA, and FEMA, vehicles are involved in half of all flood-related deaths.
One simple physics equation is all you need to remind yourself of how dangerous it is to attempt to drive or stay with your car in high water:
Most cars will float in two feet of water.
What to do while driving
Tornado tips and clues
As of May 24, NOAA reports 518 people have been killed by tornados in 2011 alone, compared to 18 confirmed fatalities in the same timeframe in 2010.
Most people are injured or killed not by the tornado itself, but by flying debris.
Besides an obvious twisted funnel of wrath, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lists the following signs and symptoms to look and listen for:
If you are in your home (and do not have a basement):
Avoid windows. Go to the lowest floor, small center room (like a bathroom or closet), under a stairwell, or in an interior hallway with no windows.
In an office building, hospital, nursing home or skyscraper:
If you are in your car:
Comments do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of HealthLeader or The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

Debora wrote:
Everyone gets bread for hurricane supplies – and it molds quickly. Buy Peanut butter and crackers – it’s not gourmet but lasts longer and no refrigeration required.

Joanie wrote:
Have periodic family drills to practice preparedness plans. I remember our first. We had our teens conduct the drill before making a plan. We had one minute to get what we thought was important when evacuating. Parents grabbed food/clothing, son took his football and bible, daughter retrieved her boom box and curling iron. It’s all a matter of what is important at the time. We laughed a lot. From there we were able to discuss and plan more efficiently. It was very helpful empowering the kids with conducting the drills and putting together a plan.

John wrote:
The suggestions given in the article, "Hurricane & Flood Before and After Handbook, Part I" were helpful. More so with the"freezer file cabinet"! I would like to add what we do with the freezer. We designate on shelf to store one gallon plastic milk containers with fresh water along with a couple of 1/2 gallon containers. When there is tropical depression developing in the gulf, we then add a second shelf with more plastic milk containers with fresh water. In addition, we use our ice maker to collect bags of ice and store in zip lock plastic bags. (You can use the ice during the summer months for your portable ice chest!) We use the blocks of ice to keep the refrigerator and freezer cool when there is no electricity. When the ice melts, you will have water for you and your pets for other uses. Let's see; wait in long lines for ice or ....

A reader wrote:
I liked your article and always enjoy these
Just an fyi – on this statement “Alert your friends/family list that a hurricane is headed your way and you might lose contact by land line.
While I lost electricity for 2 weeks with IKE , my home land line phone ALWAYS worked , I had to use a stupid phone which does not require elec and a LOOONNNNNGGGGGG extension cord but the phone worked. Even though there was NO Electricity.
Also people need to remember to have LOTS of misquote repellent probably with the bad ole DEET – wipes, sprays, etc and sun screen, sun burn and sun tan lotion and the new warnings about the sun tan lotion as well.
e.g., when we were putting the patio furniture in the garage getting ready for Rita – I was hot but also wondering why my arms were hurting... duhhhh it was 103 ! and of course after the hurricane and RAIN the mosquitoes are breeding like there is no tomorrow and all those ladies are sucking the blood out of anything that moves.

Walt wrote:
Before evacuating, leave no wooden or other water-swelling drawers containing anything in place in the dresser. Move the drawer ANYWHERE, but not in the dresser! When the water rises and the wooden dresser and drawer are soaked, the drawer frequently can not be opened. If the contents are clothes and paper, mildew and mold will take over before anything dries out and the drawercan be opened. A soaked drawer sitting on the flood soaked carpet is better than a soaked drawer captured in a dresser.
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Peggy wrote:
WOW! What a great resource you and your staff have created for all of us on the Gulf Coast! I would like to pass it around intact to my customers and clients. Perhaps you will increase your readership, too.
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Caroline wrote:
You always write such inspirational articles. Just wanted to let you know that I appreciate them and find them very informational. I especially liked the one regarding Hurricane Preparedness. I decided after reading your article to develop a family “Disaster Action & Recovery Plan”. I put your article and attachments in our folder as the beginnings of that plan. Thanks. You’re doing a great job!
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(A reader) wrote:
Great and useful job!!
Clever of you to think of baseball cards.
Valuable papers in the freezer - frozen assets??
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Dita wrote:
Great job! This is a very timely article with lots of important information. But you knew that already, didn’t you? Really, I’m writing to compliment you on the format, I was afraid the printout would have all the extraneous stuff on the side in the article –but it didn’t; I got a nice clean savable copy. Good work. I appreciate your continued efforts to keep everyone informed.
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Jacqueline wrote:
Thanks for the great hurricane and flood guide. It’s the best one I’ve read so far. I’ve printed it out and will keep it in my cooler with emergency supplies.
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Caroline wrote:
What a practical article for hurricane season. Thanks so much!
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), the most comprehensive academic health center in The UT System and the U.S. Gulf Coast region, is home to schools of biomedical informatics, biomedical sciences, dentistry, medicine, nursing and public health. UTHealth educates more healthcare professionals than any health-related institution in the State of Texas and features the nation’s seventh-largest medical school. It also includes a psychiatric hospital and a growing network of clinics throughout the region. The university’s primary teaching hospitals include Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital. Founded in 1972, UTHealth’s 10,000-plus faculty, staff, students and residents are committed to delivering innovative solutions that create the best hope for a healthier future.
Dr. Robert Emery is executive director of Environmental Health and Safety at UTHealth and associate professor of occupational health at the Center for Biosecurity and Public Health Preparedness at the The University of Texas School of Public Health.
See Dr. Emery also at:
Simple Ways to Help
Young and Old Eyes
May is Healthy Vision Month and it is imperative to take care of eyes whether they’re young or old.
Children should have their vision checked by age 6, even if there aren’t any signs of eye problems. Healthy eyes and vision are very important to a child’s development. Finding and treating eye problems early on can save a child’s sight. Two common eye problems in children are:
Both of these eye problems can be treated if they are found early.
Here are ways to help your child develop vision skills:
Don’t let poor vision put elders at risk. Leave a three-foot, clear path through each room of their house. Outline edges of steps, coffee tables, doorways and bathtubs with colored tape to contrast with surrounding areas. Install lights along outdoor pathways and keep foyers well lit to avoid having to enter dark areas. Replace switch plates with colors that contrast with walls, or outline them with tape of contrasting colors. It is also always smart to use nightlights during the night.