disaster awareness, preparedness and recovery€¦ · any unmet need that isn't disability...

Disaster Awareness,

Preparedness and Recovery

ILRU Program at

TIRR Memorial Hermann and

UT Health Science Center

Houston, Texas

Outline

• Background and Motivation

• Disaster Preparedness

• Disaster Recovery

• Accomplishments

• Mitigation

• Key Disability Concepts

• Best Practice Summary

Stimulus for Involvement

TS Allison, 2001

Dates: June 8 and 9, 2001

Highest sustained winds: 60 mph

Fatalities: 55

Damage: $5.5 billion

Notes: It rained 40 inches in Houston in two

days; 30,000 people became homeless

after the storm flooded over 70,000

houses and destroyed 2,744 homes.

Disaster Preparedness

ILRU Program at

TIRR Memorial Hermann

Houston, Texas

Hurricane Katrina, 2005

Landfall: August 29, 2005


Fatalities: 1,833

Damage: $108 billion

Notes: Hurricane Katrina was the costliest

natural disaster in US history. More than a

million people were evacuated, the largest

proportion to Houston, Texas.

Hurricane Rita, 2005

Landfall: September 23, 2005


Fatalities: 125

Damage: $12 billion

Notes: An estimated 107 people died in the

mass evacuation as 2.5 million people

tried to flee Houston and Galveston prior

to the hurricane’s landfall.

• Make a plan for evacuation

• Make sure your evacuation vehicle is in good running order and filled with gas

• If you don’t have a personal vehicle, make arrangements with family or friends

• In any case, Register for 2-1-1

Prepare to Evacuate

Prepare to Evacuate

• Put together a Go Bag

Include copies of prescriptions, medications, and eye glasses (extras of each if you have them); Other important personal papers; medical supplies and devices; extra clothes, snacks, and a pillow

• Evacuation will be by zip code

Prepare to Evacuate

• Pay attention to public

announcements

– Watch and listen to TV and radio

– Monitor online information sources

– Enroll or join a buddy network

Prepare to Evacuate

• Arrange for alternative

communication, if needed

• Get battery-operated or crank up

emergency radio (and stock extra

batteries for it)

Prepare to Shelter-in-Place

• Gather home reinforcement materials

• Gather staples of foodstuff and

supplies

• Gather backup meds and batteries

• Make special arrangements if you are

power-dependent

Be Resilient

• Notify family and friends of your

plans

• Remind and help others to prepare

• Participate in community

preparedness planning and recovery

efforts

Disaster Preparedness for

People with Disabilities

www.disability911.org

www.disability911.com

www.ilru.org

http://www.disability911.org/

http://www.disability911.com/

http://www.ilru.org/

Disaster Recovery

ILRU Program at


Houston, Texas

Hurricane Ike, 2008

Landfall: September 13, 2008


Fatalities: 195

Notes: Large portions of Houston and

Southeast Texas were without power for

more than two weeks after the storm. Ike

was the second costliest natural disaster

in US history at $37.6 billion.

Call Center

Shelter Search

• Collaborated with UT Health Science

Center

– Identify critical disability and medical needs

– Provide prescription assistance

– Health care referrals

Community Engagement

• Call Center

– Secured permission from NIDRR to use staff

normally assigned to other grant projects

– Secured permission to use

• Houston’s Metrolift Data Base

• PUC’s Critical Care Customer Registry for the

greater Houston area

– Collaborated with UT Health Science Center

to use their automated messaging system

Staff

Grant Funding

Service Area by County

• Brazoria

• Chambers

• Ft. Bend

• Galveston

• Hardin

• Harris

• Jefferson

• Liberty

• Montgomery

• Orange

• San Jacinto

• Walker

• Waller

Process Overview

Ike Related Incident

• Damage to home,

possession, vehicle

• Loss of primary

residence

• Physical injury

• Evacuation

• Loss/damage to

medical equipment

• Medical or mental

health issues

• Loss of loved one(s)

• Displacement

What is a Disability?

• Physical, Visual, Hearing Impairment • Cognitive / Intellectual Deficits • Psychiatric / Mental Health Issues • Severe / Chronic Medical Condition

Disaster Recovery Services

Disability-specific,

not disaster-specific

Disability Definition =

Wide Range of Services

Chart 2 $350 and below $1 - $1,250 $1,250 - $2,000

Family

(More than one

person with a

disability)

Any unmet need

that isn't disability

related*

Any unmet need that

is disability related

Any unmet need

that compromises

the client’s health

and or safety

Client Funding Guidelines for Ike Recovery Project

Chart 1 $250 and below $1 - $1,000 $1,000 - $1,500

Individual

Any unmet need that

isn't disability

related*

Any unmet need that

is disability related

Any unmet need

that compromises

the client’s health

and or safety

* Needs that aren’t disability related include basic needs like food,

clothing, furniture, etc.

Marketing the Project

• Create collateral materials

• Develop educational presentations

• Network at disaster recovery meetings

• Exhibit at disaster related community

events

• Call on social service/disaster recovery

agencies

Developing a Referral Stream

• Catholic Charities

• United Way

• Neighborhood Centers, Inc.

• Mainland Children’s Partnership

• Care for Elders, etc.

Project = Safety Net

Focus: Disability Needs

Collaboration with Agencies

• UM Army

• Helping Hands

• Rebuilding Together Houston

• Furniture Bank-Houston

• Prevent Blindness, etc.

Benefits of Collaboration

Accomplishments

50 Ramps

21 Construction / Repair Projects

Accomplishments

Durable Medical / Safety Equipment

for 197 clients

Nutritional Support / Medical Supplies

for 65 clients

Accomplishments

Furniture / Appliances / Housewares

for 69 clients

Resource referrals

for 178 clients

Education

for 126 clients

People with Disabilities Served

800 clients in 2008

21 clients in 2009

534 clients in 2010

151 clients in 2011

1506 clients to date

Recovery Response

Mitigation

Disaster

Key Concepts in Disability

• Integration

• Equal-Access

• Self-Determination

• Physical Access

• Effective Communication

• Reasonable Modification

Best Practice Summary

• Utilize disability specialists

• Capitalize on available disability data

bases

• Secure permission to use staff assigned to

other grants for emergency situations

• Collaborate with main stream agencies

• Partner with social service, non-profit and

faith-based organizations

Contact Information

Lex Frieden

Professor of Health Informatics

University of Texas Health Science

Center at Houston

ILRU Program


713.520.0232 Ext. 124

[email protected]

disaster awareness, preparedness and recovery€¦ · any unmet need that isn't disability...

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