Natural Disasters
Any time a disaster affects a populated area, the health and well-being if the public can be compromised. Some of the hazards in BC include:
- Fire and smoke
- Earthquakes
- Tsunamis and storm surges
- Flooding
- Severe weather
- Landslides and avalanches
Many of these hazards can have serious public health consequences. Disruption to critical infrastructure can compromise the safety of our food and water; flooding and debris can contaminate wide areas of habitable and agricultural land; earthquakes can interrupt the delivery of critical health services to large numbers of the population and fires can destroy infrastructure, harm the environment and affect the quality of the air we breathe, leading to worsening of illness in some people.
The PHEM service line of the BCCDC is working to develop a range of tools and resources that can be used by public health professionals to help address these issues.
Through our relationships with partner agencies and through the expertise of other divisions within the BCCDC, we have created a 'Rapid Needs Assessment' and 'Public Health Hazard Risk & Vulnerability Analysis' that can be used by public health officials and local governments to prioritize response activities.
We also provide resources to address Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and offer guidance documents to the public, local health authorities and health professionals on issues relating to water quality, food safety, communicable disease control and environmental health. |
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Last Updated: September 9, 2011