Disaster Preparedness During the Pandemic

Hurricane season officially starts June 1. As summer begins, counties are preparing for hurricanes, wildfires and other disasters. However, this hurricane season presents different challenges as counties learn new ways to prepare and proceed. As government officials and employees continue to navigate their COVID-19 response, here are various resource webpages and checklists to help with disaster preparedness and recovery.

• Hurricane Response in the Time of COVID-19 — Chambers County's checklist to assist with hurricane preparation during the pandemic.
• Pandemic Operational Guidance for the 2020 Hurricane Season — FEMA's actionable guidance to state, local, tribal and territorial officials to prepare response and recovery operations. The guidance encourages personal preparedness measures during the pandemic.
• Hurricane Preparedness & COVID-19 Response —TDEM's guidance for hurricane preparation during the pandemic.
• Texas General Land Office — Tips for hurricane preparedness, obtaining federal disaster assistances and strengthening relationships with federal preparedness partners.
• Emergency Management Association of Texas — Updates on pandemic response efforts.
• Department of Homeland Security — Resources to help prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters.
• TAC Risk Management Pool — Resources to help counties prepare for and recover from flooding and hurricanes.

For more information on the content of this article, contact Rick Thompson.