Regions Respond to Catastrophes

Abstract

, the health system faced unprecedented challenges, ranging from closed and evacuated hospitals to the loss of power and depleted fuel supplies for millions of residents. Although the storm caused more than $71 billion in damages, with thousands of vulnerable patients surging into hospitals and special needs shelters, few lives were lost directly from the storm. However, public health agencies, health care partners, and community-based organizations were forced both to respond to the event and adapt to the loss of health care facilities with existing and ad hoc response systems. 1