RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This case study documents Harris County hospitals' flood preparedness and mitigation efforts before Hurricane Harvey, their collective response experience during Hurricane Harvey, and their lessons learned in the storm's aftermath. METHODS: The case study was constructed using a survey of hospital emergency managers, semi-structured interviews with local agencies involved in public health, emergency management, and health care, and an analysis of news reports and other documents from a variety of government agencies, local organizations, and hospitals themselves. RESULTS: Harris County hospitals learned their most valuable lessons through their direct and repeated experience with flooding over the years, leading to improved preparedness before Hurricane Harvey. Hospital emergency response successes included infrastructure improvements, staff resilience, advanced planning, and pre-established collaboration. However, hospitals still experienced challenges with staff burnout, roadway flooding, and patient evacuation. CONCLUSIONS: Although the current state of hospital flood preparedness and mitigation is rather advanced and mature, it is advisable that Harris County takes steps to strengthen emergency management efforts in hospitals with fewer financial and staffing resources and less direct flood experience.
RESUMEN
Objectives. To compare the flood impacts experienced by Harris County, Texas, hospitals with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood hazard areas and Hurricane Harvey's inundation boundary.Methods. One year following Hurricane Harvey, we created a novel data set of Hurricane Harvey's flood impacts in Harris County hospitals. We then mapped the hospital flood impact data in ArcGIS alongside FEMA flood hazard areas and Hurricane Harvey's inundation boundary to classify each hospital's location in high flood-risk areas and in areas purportedly affected by Hurricane Harvey.Results. Of the 66 hospitals for which flood impact information was ascertained, 16 (24%) hospitals experienced flood impacts during Hurricane Harvey. Of these 16 hospitals, 5 (31%) were located outside a FEMA flood hazard area and 8 (50%) were located outside Hurricane Harvey's inundation boundary.Conclusions. FEMA flood hazard areas did not accurately predict all areas of Harris County, Texas, that flooded during Hurricane Harvey or which hospitals experienced flood impacts.