Engineering and Organizational Issues Before, During and After Hurricane Katrina: Public Health and Environmental Infrastructure Implications of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita

Keywords: Hurricane Katrina.  Hurricane Rita.  Coastal areas.  Public health.  Reconnaissance reports.  Gulf Coast.  New Orleans, Louisiana.  Environmental infrastructure.  Health issues.  Drinking water.  Sanitation.  Hygiene.  Water supply systems.  Wastewater.  Emergency response.

Abstract: The University at Buffalo’s public health and environment reconnaissance team visited the Gulf Coast from October 17 to October 22, 2005.  The team’s efforts extended from New Orleans to the parishes north of Lake Pontchartrain to the Louisiana-Texas border.  The primary study areas were Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, Washington, Calcasieu, and Cameron parishes.  The report is organized in three areas as they relate to the team’s site visit: information on the public health aspects; a review of the environmental infrastructure observations; and lessons learned.