Tip Sheets

2020 hurricane season: An opportunity to look into disaster preparedness

As Hurricane Laura makes landfall in the southern United States, we’ve updated our list of resources to help reporters connect with public health officials and other sources.

Extensive flooding and damage to local health infrastructure means people will be dealing with the public health effects of the storm for a while.

Even if you’re not reporting on an affected location, this may be a good time to ask some questions of your local public health leaders and write about disaster preparedness issues. Here are some resources to help craft those questions:

Government agencies

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Federal Emergency Management Agency

• HHS site for Public Health Emergencies. For media inquiries, submit a request here.

• National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Laura

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Hurricane Laura

• Texas Hurricane Center

• Texas Division of Emergency Management

• Louisiana emergency preparedness

• emergency.louisiana.gov

• Lower Mississippi Forecast Center

• Southeast River Forecast Center

• National Association of County and City Health Officials directory of local health departments. For media inquiries: contact Theresa Spinner, 202-783-5551 or tspinner@naccho.org.

• TexasReady.gov - disaster preparedness, information and resources

• Flood Safety - before, during and after

• Hurricane Safety - before, during and after

• Texas Division of Emergency Management

• Ready.gov - plan ahead for disasters

• National Flood Insurance

• Disaster preparedness for seniors

• GAO: Reports on public health emergency preparedness and government response and recovery efforts

• Study: To Evacuate or Shelter in Place: Implications of Universal Hurricane Evacuation Policies on Nursing Home Residents

AHCJ articles and tip sheets

• Here’s an earlier tip sheet on covering natural disasters

• Emergency preparedness among U.S. hospitals a potential story for your community

• Covering hurricanes: Resources and related stories to help your coverage.

• How hurricanes can result in the spread of infectious diseases.

• Report focuses on the challenges of disaster preparedness for older adults.

• Health system disaster preparedness and data backup: Are hospitals in your community ready?

• Reporting on the health impacts of flooding

• Puerto Rico’s elderly caught in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria:

• Seniors have special concerns in natural disasters like Sandy

• Some advice when interviewing victims of mental or other trauma

• Reporters’ preparation would decrease chaos in covering disasters

• Disaster coverage: Is your newsroom prepared?

• AHCJ urges reporters in disaster areas to avoid focusing on selves

Media coverage and nonprofit reports

• Google: Weather, hazards and emergency preparedness map

• Center for Disaster Philanthropy: A resource for “informed disaster giving”

• Trust for America’s Health: Report on a funding crisis for public health and safety

• Trust for America’s Health: Report on protecting the public’s health in the face of diseases and disasters

• DART Center for Journalism & Trauma: Covering Hurricanes: Before, during and after the storm

• Poynter: How media got Hurricane Harvey right

• Poynter Institute: A quick guide to avoiding hoaxes and false news about Dorian (or any other hurricane)

Bara Vaida and Pia Christensen contributed to this updated tip sheet.