A Perfect Storm

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A Perfect Storm
There is no such thing as . . .
Emily Palmer Texas Department of State Health
Services Crisis Communications Conference May 3,
2007
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Emergency ManagementTexas Department of State
Health Services

• Lead agency by state law for Emergency Support
  Function 8 Health and Medical
• Lead agency for radiation control
• Lead agency for disaster mental health
• Member of the Governors Emergency Management
  Council with a seat in the State Operations
  Center

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For Texas A series of major events

• Full-Scale Strategic National Stockpile exercise
  Early August 2005
• Hurricane Katrina
• Late August 2005
• Hurricane Rita
• September 2005

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In the Eye of the Storm
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Headline Expectations

• Evacuation not perfect, but a success
• Response to storm not perfect, but better

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On-the-job training

• Initiated the Incident Command System
• Staffed the DSHS Emergency Support Center

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Katrina Opening the Doors
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Katrina Mass Shelter

• Texas received a total of 245,000 evacuees from
  Hurricane Katrina
• 180 shelters in 42 Texas counties set up for
  66,000 evacuees
• Houston hosted up to 11,500 evacuees in a complex
  that got its own ZIP code

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Katrina Evacuees Went To More Than 200 Texas
Counties
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Information needed to be provided for evacuees
and for those who provided help
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Waiting for Rita
Just One Month Later
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Rita Hunkering Down
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At Home with Rita

• Evacuation 3.2 million people moved inland
• Shelter 115,000 people in 468 shelters from
  El Paso to San Antonio
• Flood and wind destruction 17 counties hit
• Special needs physical and mental health
• Reunification finding families
• Repatriation getting people back home

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Finding Family
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Finding Comfort
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Finding Help
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Communications That Worked

• Maintaining constant presence in the Emergency
  Support Center 24/7
• Establishing hurricane-specific Web site
• Participating in conference calls
• Staying for shift change reports
• Reading the Web EOC reports
• Maintaining the DSHS PIO e-mail site

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Communications That Need Work

• Maintaining media contact reports
• Monitoring media reports
• Methods of news dissemination
• Staying in touch with local PIOs
• Juggling ESC, SOC, JIC, JFO needs
• Going paperless
• Relieving stress

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Aftermath of the Storm
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Looking to the Future

• After-Action Report and Stakeholder Conference
• ICS Training
• New Job Action Sheets
• Updated Plans
• Multi-Agency Coordination Center
• Statewide Hurricane Exercise
• Communications Meeting with Governors Office

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Leadership Lessons

• Preparedness works
• Communication requires both front channel and
  back channel options
• Asking the right question is critical
• Improvisation is essential
• Leadership must be decisive not averse to
  taking risks

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You know you live on the coast when

• You have FEMAs number on your speed dialer.
• You can rattle off the names of three or more
  meteorologists with the Weather Channel.
• Ice is a valid topic of conversation.
• Having a tree in your living room does not
  necessarily mean it is Christmas.
• You can wish that other people get hit by a
  hurricane and not feel the least bit guilty about
  it.

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Contact Information

• Emily Palmer, Assistant Press Officer
• Texas Department of State Health Services
• 1100 W. 49th St., M-631
• Austin, TX 78756
• 512-458-7400
• emily.palmer_at_dshs.state.tx.us