Hurricane Irene is projected to hit North Carolina and maintain hurricane force winds all the way to New York City this weekend. This area of the country is one of the most populated areas of the United States. The storm’s projected path contains more than 60,000,000 people and 25,000,000 homes. A little under 14 million are children. In total, the area represents 302,587 square miles in our study analysis according to the Census and ESRI.
A small bit of good news is there are 459 hospitals and an estimated 135,000 physicians in the affected areas. Hospitals, Physicians, and Emergency Responders have all been put on alert and are ready to respond. Based on our experiences with Hurricane Katrina, tetanus shots will be needed for responders and people living in affected areas.
If you are living in a low lying area or near the coast, plan an evacuation route as water rises. Many areas will be without water and electricity as Hurricane Irene makes landfall. Stock up on food and water today.
The CDC has recommendations for cleaning up after flood water at the following link. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods/cleanupwater.asp
