Environmental Health Response to Alabama Tornadoes

The severe tornadoes that swept through Alabama on April 27, 2011 destroyed more than 6,000 square miles and claimed 248 lives. With power out and water systems and other public infrastructure destroyed following the storms, environmental health specialists were left with the significant challenge of keeping diseases from spreading as citizens dealt with unrefrigerated foods, waste, unfiltered water, and sewage. Luckily, some of these specialists were ready for the challenge thanks to training they received at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Center for Domestic Preparedness.

As graduates of the Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response (EHTER) course at the CDP's campus in Anniston, Ala., Tim Hatch, environmental program and logistics director from the Alabama Department of Public Health, and Haskey Bryant, environmental health specialist from the Jefferson County Health Department in Birmingham, both knew how to address the environmental health challenges caused by the tornado.

"EHTER is a course that challenges environmentalists to think about disaster response," Hatch said. "During the tornadoes in April normal food inspections were not happening. Every disaster has an environmental health component. In Alabama we had power outages, unsafe drinking water, waste disposal, and several other infrastructure issues that affect environmental health. EHTER forced us to plan and have an environmental strategy before the disaster. EHTER provided us a foundation and made our disaster response better."

Hatch and Bryant are among a group of more than 50 state and local officials from Alabama who have attended EHTER training at CDP. Since offering the course in 2009, more than 1,170 professionals from across the nation have taken the EHTER course in Anniston.

"Environmental health has the components of the food we eat to the water we drink, and we want to make sure that our citizens don't have an increased chance of disease transmission after a disaster," Hatch said

As the threat of severe weather loomed over a vast majority of Alabama on April 27, 2011, environmental health specialists throughout the state were on an increased level of readiness.

As the storm passed through Mississippi that state's emergency management office contacted Alabama to report the dangerous storm system.

The tornadoes affected Alabama in two waves and by the time the storm had passed large cities and small towns throughout the state were affected.

"A large part of my job is food inspections, but during a disaster normal operations change," said Bryant. "After the tornadoes it was all uncommon. EHTER brought the big picture together. Without the EHTER course I would not have been as capable. The course took me from day-to-day operations to an advanced level of disaster response—the course is focused on environmental health disaster response."

The April tornadoes required Alabama environmentalists to apply critical skills to maintain a healthy environment for affected Alabamians. As waste mounted and spoiled food increased the potential for illness amplified. Drinking water became a luxury as water lines could not maintain pressure and water became unsafe.