Summer 2024 – NYU GPH Journal of Public Health Disasters

July 10, 2024July 10, 2024

Omolola Akerele, Edward Rosenbaum, and Jacqueline Saltarelli’s Active Shooter Disaster Response Plan

Introduction: The Southern Nevada Health District works to serve communities located in Southern Nevada to protect and promote their health. A large portion of the population the Southern Nevada Health District serves are from Clark County. With an increase in active shooter events throughout the United States in the past few years, it is critical to prepare to protect students and employees within Clark County School District for potential active shooter events.

July 9, 2024July 9, 2024

James Abruzzo, Haoan Chen, and Nancy Hu’s Disaster Plan on Cyber Attack Disaster Plan for New York City

Introduction: The charge of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOH) is to ensure the health and well-being of over 8 million residents amidst one of the most populous and diverse cities in the world. Cybersecurity threats have dramatically increased over the past couple of years, including threats to critical CISA infrastructure such as healthcare. This plan is specifically focused on the NYC DOH and outlines the steps to be taken in the event of a cyber-attack targeting the department.

July 9, 2024July 9, 2024

Kartiki Vaidya, Mahnoor Ahmed, Rebekah McNeill, and Korian Thomas’ Disaster Plan on Flooding in New Orleans

Introduction: New Orleans, Louisiana, is located in the southern United States, close to the gulf of Mexico and the Mississippi river. The city of New Orleans is 10 to 15 feet below sea level. The distance from the Mississippi river to Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans is only 5 to 10 miles. Flooding is a major issue in New Orleans and one that will continue in the city due to its topography. Ideally a preparedness document like this would be 50-70 pages long and be written clearly enough so that any emergency staff member could read and understand it easily.

July 8, 2024July 8, 2024

Edward Rosenbaum’s Case Study on Hurricane Irma and Maria

In September 2017, Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Irma and Maria—category five and four storms—in succession. The impact was widespread and catastrophic. Damage to essential infrastructure affected systems of energy, transportation, communications, water supply, and disaster response operations. Federal aid emergency resources were stretched thin as the storms came at the end of hurricane season.

July 8, 2024July 9, 2024

Emily Mathers, Kristin Memoli, and Iman Yusuf’s Tornado Emergency Plan for Douglas County, Nebraska

Introduction: Tornadoes are destructive products of thunderstorms, which are characterized by a funnel-shaped cloud and are often accompanied by lightning, heavy rain, and hail. On average, the United States experiences 800 tornadoes each year, leading to 80 deaths and 1,500 injuries. Tornado Alley is an area in the United States comprised of multiple states that are particularly susceptible to tornadoes and incur the most tornado-related fatalities. Of the susceptible states in Tornado Alley, Nebraska ranks number 5 for frequency of tornadoes, 23 for number of deaths, and 11 for cost of damages.

July 8, 2024July 10, 2024

Afreen Khimani, Samantha Whitegeese, and Sara Merken’s Emergency Response Plan on Avian Flu in Michigan

Introduction: Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu H5N1 (HPAI) is a disease that is caused by the avian influenza Type A virus, which spreads in wild aquatic birds as well as domestic poultry, with rare, sporadic infections in humans. Avian flu is spread to humans through interaction with saliva, mucous, and feces of infected birds. Those with frequent contact with cows and birds are at higher risk for developing avian flu. In the United States between April 1, 2024 and May 29, 2024, there have been three human cases, all contracting avian flu after contact with dairy cows. In order to monitor H5N1 activity in humans, the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is utilizing the flu surveillance system.

June 26, 2024June 28, 2024

Emily Mathers’ Case Study on New York City 2022 Subway Shooting

In April 2022, a mass shooting occurred on a subway in New York City. Gunman Frank R. James threw smoke grenades and opened fire with a handgun on a northbound N train in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Twenty-nine people were injured with no life-threatening injuries.

June 18, 2024June 18, 2024

Sara Merken’s Case Study on 2011 Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

Woman and child walking in earthquake/tsunami wreckage.

On March 11, 2011, Japan was hit with a record-breaking 9.1 magnitude earthquake, leading to tsunami waves up to 40 meters tall. This event caused mass destruction, killing thousands and displacing more than 450,000. While Japan deployed a quick response, gaps in disaster management plans led to a worldwide impact.

June 13, 2024June 13, 2024

Korian ‘Koko’ Thomas’ Case Study on the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster

The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 remains one of the worst nuclear accidents in history, resulting in widespread radioactive contamination and environmental damage. The nuclear reactor explosion led to approximately 30 deaths, the evacuation of 220,000 people, and long-term health complications for thousands of inhabitants, including cancer in nearly 6,000 children.

June 12, 2024June 12, 2024

Rebekah McNeill’s Case Study on 2022 European Heat Wave

During the summer of 2022, Europe faced an unprecedented, record-breaking heat wave. The high temperatures, coupled with droughts and forest fires, led to nearly 62,000 deaths amongst predominately vulnerable populations. Despite a similar heatwave two decades prior, European governments were unprepared to respond to the event effectively.