Assessing Resilience and Recovery in Residents Post-Hurricane Harvey
HOUSTON — Harris County Public Health (HCPH) staff and volunteers will go door-to-door in the Huffman/Crosby area to assess residents’ needs more than a year and a half after Hurricane Harvey. This area affected by flooding during Harvey and some residents are still trying to recover. Survey results will be shared with local, state, and federal public partners to better understand how residents were impacted, what their current needs are, and how to better prepare residents for future emergencies.
On Saturday, June 8, survey teams will visit randomly selected homes in the Huffman/Crosby area. Survey takers will be asking residents how they have fared in since Harvey, and what their current needs are. Some of the questions will include the following:
• Was your home flooded?
• Do you still have damage?
• Did you have mold in your home?
This is a confidential survey and residents will not be asked to sign the survey or identify themselves, and their addresses will not be included on the surveys. The survey, known as a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER), is based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) model.
“Emergencies can be devastating and disrupt people’s lives. The survey helps us determine if residents still have unmet needs nearly two years after Harvey. Though, we certainly hope that our communities remain safe, we want for our residents to be as prepared as possible before an emergency or disaster strikes,” said Dr. Umair A. Shah, Executive Director of Harris County Public Health.
HCPH also surveyed the severely impacted community of Aldine in 2017, one month after Hurricane Harvey, and in September 2018, one year after Harvey. The Bear Creek area was also surveyed in February, 2019. Survey results are compared and analyzed to develop future preparedness and recovery strategies.