Hurricane Andrew and Iniki in 1992 and Hugo in 1989 disrupted the lives of thousands of people. While nothing can be done to stop hurricanes, there are actions you can take to help maintain your personal health and safety during and after a hurricane. This pamphlet provides information to help you prepare for, react to, and recover from the impacts of a hurricane, and maintain your physical and mental health in the days and weeks following the storm.

This information is provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in cooperation with state and local health departments. It includes general guidelines for prevention of disease and injury. However, some recommendations may vary from state to state. Please contact your state health department for health advisories or recommendations that are specific to local conditions.

Hurricane Disasters

As population growth continues along vulnerable coastal areas in the United States, more and more people face the potential hazards that result from a hurricane. Today, approximately 75 million people live within 50 miles of potential hurricane zones.

Some climatologists are concerned that hurricane activity affecting the coastal areas of the United States may increase because of the climatic changes now occurring in Western Africa. Similar climatic changes occurred from 1940 to 1950. During that period, there were three direct hurricane strikes in the greater Miami metropolitan area, one in the Tampa region, one near New Orleans, and one on the Gulf coast of Texas.

The greatest natural disaster in history occurred on September 8, 1900, when a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas, killing more 6,000 people. Fortunately, as hurricane forecasting, emergency response plans, evacuation procedures, and the training of public health workers have improved in this century, the loss of human life has been greatly reduced. In 1992, while Hurricane Andrew caused an estimated $20 billion in property damage in Florida and Louisiana, the human toll was 41 people. While each life lost is one too many, the only way to reduce the human cost of a hurricane is with adequate preparation.

© 2003