The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is activating its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in advance of the landfall of Hurricane Florence, according to a CDC media statement.
Courtesy National Hurricane Center, NOAA
Activation of the center will allow for 24/7 management of all CDC activities before, during, and after the landfall of Hurricane Florence, including deployment of personnel and resources.
All CDC staff should be ready to provide infectious disease outbreak surveillance, public health messages, water/food safety evaluations, mold prevention and treatment, industrial contamination containment, and standing water control. The CDC is also sharing messages with the public on how to protect themselves from threats before, during, and after landfall, such as drowning and floodwater safety, carbon monoxide poisoning, downed power lines, unsafe food and water, and mold.
The EOC is the CDC’s command center for the coordination and monitoring of CDC activity with all other U.S. federal, state, and local agencies. The EOC also works with the Secretary of Health & Human Services Secretary’s Operations Center to ensure awareness and a coordinated public health and medical response, according to the statement.
Additional resources for interested parties can be found on the CDC website.