Special Edition

Be Prepared - Hurricane Activity on the Rise

The Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and will continue through November 30. However, on average, the busiest months normally occur between August and October. Almost in sync with the peak months, Tropical storms Anna and Claudette (now a depression) and Hurricane Bill became the first three named storms of the season.

For months now, Metro Health has been in hurricane preparedness mode and continues to coordinate with State, regional and local emergency responders to address hurricane preparation and response activities. The department's Public Health Emergency Preparedness Division leads our efforts, with dozens of team members designated for specific actions if an emergency response is necessitated. Following are some of the department's major roles and responsibilities:

 Coordinate medical services for general population shelters and medical special needs shelters in partnership with University Health System (UHS), Baptist Child and Family Services (BCFS) and other partner agencies.

 Coordinate and monitor all activities of the federal medical stations to provide care to evacuated nursing home patients and special needs individuals that are home bound.

 Monitor for disease outbreaks and implement control measures as needed, including monitoring food safety and general sanitation in all shelters.

 Monitor and coordinate Regional Medical Operations Center (RMOC) activities and make adjustments to minimize the impact on local hospitals and the services they provide.

 Maintain warehouse medical stock levels and coordinate medical supply shipments to all shelters.

Just as San Antonio's Public Health Team prepares to respond, residents and businesses also are urged to prepare for hurricane season. Visit these sites for hurricane preparation tips, important safety information and to sign up for emergency alerts.

San Antonio Office of Emergency Management
Ready South Texas
San Antonio Flood Emergency (SAFE) System

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