Preparing Gulf State Communities to Meet Health Challenges

Background

The Gulf South region has experienced record high temperatures and is projected to continue seeing increases in extreme heat days, flooding events and major hurricanes. Damage from flooding can disrupt access to food and healthcare and increase the risk of respiratory illnesses from mold exposure. Extreme storms and hurricanes have significant impacts on mental health and well-being, contributing to conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and depression due to displacement and loss of stability. Hurricanes can also cause long-lasting power outages which interfere with safe storage of food and medical equipment, increase the risk of heat-related illnesses and deaths and leave vulnerable populations, like the elderly, with no means of contacting emergency medical support.

About the Project

In the gulf state communities, the eight community-based organizations (CBOs) chosen to receive funding will support implementation of local disaster preparedness programs in states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico, with a special focus on coastal communities. The project will accelerate adaptation efforts and build the capacity of communities to plan for and address the negative health effects of weather-related events.  

Stories About Our Work

Community Lighthouses Guide the Way

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Partners

Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience

Providing education on the health risks associated with changes in climate and the effectiveness of weatherization on mitigating these risks.

Family Counseling Center or Mobile

Assessing household preparedness for communities in Mobile, developing toolkits for disaster preparedness and response and coordinating resources and local disaster response plans.

Florida Clinicians for Climate Action

Training doulas to provide disaster preparation for pregnant and postpartum women, creating perinatal disaster action plans and developing a research protocol on how disaster planning affects maternal experiences.

Girl Plus Environment

Developing a fellowship to equip women across Alabama with the tools and skills to find solutions to the climate-related health challenges in their communities.

Imagine Water Works

Collaborating with partners for emergency planning and response, launching a map to show residents where they can access power during outages and developing additional resources to prepare communities for extreme weather events.

People's Justice Council

Hosting workshops and attending community events to inform community members on how to be more prepared and resilient during disasters and creating disaster kits with local partners.

Rural Women’s Health Project

Developing an education plan focusing on extreme heat and disaster preparedness, providing response kits to local churches and partnering with researchers to identify opportunities to bridge gaps in local emergency response.

Together Louisiana

Identifying resources and partners to help train “Community Lighthouse” volunteers for disaster response, developing a training curriculum for partner use, conducting training workshops and engaging volunteers at neighborhood events.

Program Description: To support implementation of local disaster preparedness programs through community-based organizations in U.S. states surrounding the Gulf of Mexico, with a special focus on coastal communities. The project will accelerate adaptation efforts and increase local resilience by building the capacity of communities to plan for and address the negative health effects of weather-related events.

Funding Partners:

National Academy of Sciences

Program Partners:

CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health

Program Location:

United States of America

Environmental Health

Aerial view of a church featuring solar panels installed on its roof, surrounded by greenery and other buildings.

Aerial view of the solar panels installed on the roof of the Broadmoor Community Church in New Orleans, Louisiana as part of the Community Lighthouse project. Photo courtesy of Together Louisiana.

a sign giving prompts about how to create a 'zine.

At the Imagine Water Works Hurricane Hub, staff invite visitors to create "zines" to think about the meaning of home.

The Gulf Coast cohort