Hurricane Dean Current Situation Update
21 August, 2007
The information on this update is current as of 8:00 AM ET, August 21, 2007.
CDC's Public Health Response
In preparation for Hurricane Dean, CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center. In addition, CDC deployed 9 staff to assist with hurricane response efforts along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast in partnership with federal, state, and local authorities in College Station, Texas; San Antonio, Texas; and Fort Walton Beach, Florida. These personnel worked to assess the public's health and safety needs in potentially affected areas.
What You Can Do to Prepare for a Hurricane
If you are under a hurricane watch or warning, here are some basic steps to take to prepare for the storm:
- Learn about your community's emergency plans, warning signals, evacuation routes, and locations of emergency shelters. Prepare to evacuate if ordered by local authorities to do so.
- Post emergency phone numbers for local emergency services and medical services at every phone in your home.
- Inform local authorities about any special needs, i.e., elderly or bedridden people, or anyone with a disability.
- Make plans to ensure your pets' safety; for tips on keeping pets safe, see Resources for Planning How to Protect Your Pets in an Emergency.
- Make plans now, before a storm, to reconnect with family members if separated during a hurricane. This may include identifying a post-hurricane meeting place and/or designating a mutual acquaintance who lives away from the storm area and who can be a point of contact for your family.
For more information, please see the CDC Hurricanes website or call 1-800-CDC -INFO.