CDC activates Emergency Operations Center for Hurricane Florence

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to coordinate 24/7 all CDC activities for public health needs before, during, and after Hurricane Florence, including the deployment of resources and personnel, as requested.

Specific assistance that CDC staff expects to offer includes recommendations for:

• General and medical shelter surveillance for infectious disease outbreaks
• Public health messages and risk communication
• Water, sanitation, safety evaluations for food/water
• Mold prevention and treatment
• Industrial contamination (HAZMAT) mitigation/abatement
• Vector control/management from standing water

CDC is also sharing information to help the public protect themselves from threats before, during, and after the hurricane’s landfall: drowning and floodwater safety, carbon monoxide poisoning, downed power lines, unsafe food and water, mold, and other health risks.

The CDC EOC is the agency’s command center for monitoring and coordinating CDC activities for rapid, efficient response in collaboration with other U.S. federal, state, and local agencies. CDC’s EOC coordinates with the Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Operations Center in Washington, D.C. to ensure situational awareness and a coordinated public health and medical response.

For more information about CDC and U.S. government activities related to Hurricane Florence:  https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricanes/hurricane-florence.html

For updates regarding all HHS activities related to Hurricane Florence: https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2018/09/11/hhs-secretary-azar-declares-public-health-emergencies-in-north-carolina-and-south-carolina.html.

For resources related to emotional distress from hurricanes and tropical storms visit https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline/disaster-types/hurricanes#additional-resources.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES