A place for the latest news, information and discussion regarding disasters, terrorism, emerging infectious diseases, disaster response, mitigation and preparedness!
BEIJING (AP) — Rescue teams crossed rugged ground in the pouring rain on Sunday to reach survivors of an earthquake that killed at least 27 people, turned tens of thousands of homes into rubble and cracked reservoirs.
The 6.1-magnitude quake struck Sichuan province on Saturday along the same fault line as the May 12 earthquake that killed nearly 70,000.
Dozens of evacuees were assembled on a primary school field in Panzhihua, footage from state broadcaster China Central Television showed. Wrapped in quilts, the evacuees, including children and the elderly, lay on plastic sheets and mats on the ground.
Saturday’s quake killed 22 people in Sichuan and five in the neighboring province of Yunnan, the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The quake damaged major bridges and cracked three reservoirs, the agency said.
Another 362 people were injured and three were missing after the earthquake hit 31 miles southeast of Panzhihua city in the southwestern corner of Sichuan on Saturday afternoon, the report said.
Since the 7.9-magnitude temblor on May 12, the region has been hit by scores of aftershocks.
Ashttp://www.wxvt.com/Global/story.asp?sociated Press – August 30, 2008 8:23 PM ET
ST. LOUIS (AP) – Two St. Louis-area hospital emergency rooms are on lockdown after the arrival of patients who appeared to be exposed to chemicals.
Authorities say three people arrived by car at St. Anthony’s Hospital with health problems caused by chemical exposure, apparently at an industrial area in East St. Louis, Ill.
Meanwhile, three other victims reportedly went to SSM DePaul Health Center.
Details of their conditions were not immediately known.
Authorities say the victims were exposed to a white powdery substance.
About 20 people who were in the St. Anthony’s ER were quarantined. People were not being allowed to enter or leave the emergency room.
ASPCA Deploys Disaster Response Team to Assist in Animal Evacuations, Sheltering in Anticipation of Hurricane Gustav
Last update: 3:18 p.m. EDT Aug. 30, 2008
NEW YORK, Aug 30, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — The ASPCA(R) (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(R)) has deployed a team of disaster response experts to assist the state of Louisiana in pre- and post-storm evacuation and sheltering in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav. Louisiana state officials have declared a pre-storm State of Emergency, and Gustav is a Category 3 Hurricane that could make landfall as early as Monday morning, September 1.
“We have received numerous requests for assistance from local parish shelters and other animal welfare organizations in Louisiana,” said Sandy Monterose, the ASPCA’s Senior Director of Community Outreach. “We are working closely with the Louisiana State Animal Response Team to assist and provide resources.”
Members of the ASPCA disaster response team arrived at the site of the Louisiana Mega Shelter in Shreveport, La. on Friday, August 29. One disaster response trailer, being driven by other ASPCA team members, will arrive on Saturday. The ASPCA also contacted its partner agency, the Saranac Technical Rescue Team, to be on standby for post-storm activity. Currently, the ASPCA team is involved in sheltering efforts on the ground and is working to coordinate evacuation of local animal shelters.
“We are pleased to be able to lend our assistance, both in terms of human resources and equipment, in disaster relief efforts,” said ASPCA President and CEO Ed Sayres. “By using our resources strategically and making key connections at the local levels, the ASPCA’s Disaster Response team is able to effectively respond to shelters and animals in need.”
The ASPCA’s Disaster Response Team of ten, which includes a veterinarian, veterinary technicians, disaster responders and sheltering professionals, was deployed at the request of the Louisiana State Animal Response Team (LSART), which serves as the volunteer animal emergency response partner of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry under ESF-11.
Other agencies besides the ASPCA that are assisting LSART’s efforts include United Animal Nations, Code 3, American Humane Association, the Humane Society of the United States, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Best Friends, Noah’s Wish and numerous other humane and disaster response groups.
The ASPCA’s Disaster Response Team was created in September, 2005 as a mechanism to assist with the rescue of animals in crisis during a disaster. As the need grew across the country, the ASPCA responded by deploying the teams nationwide when requested by the agency having jurisdiction.
About the ASPCA(R)
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA(R) (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(R)) was the first humane organization established in the Americas, and today has more than one million supporters throughout North America. A 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters houses a full-service, accredited, animal hospital, adoption center, and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York’s animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series “Animal Precinct” on Animal Planet. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.
By MATT STILES, BRAD OLSON and RUTH RENDON Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle
Aug. 29, 2008, 11:44PM
State and local emergency officials cast wary eyes as Hurricane Gustav moved slowly through the Caribbean Friday, making preparations in case the storm threatens the region.
Schools, governments, hospitals and law enforcement agencies spent Friday filling fuel tanks, staging equipment and planning staffing levels, all according to emergency plans refined after the painful lessons of Hurricane Rita.
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said the critical juncture in emergency operations would begin this afternoon when the state deploys emergency vehicles and the county decides whether to issue a voluntary evacuation. President Bush issued an emergency declaration for Hurricane Gustav Friday that includes Texas.
Forecasts show that the hurricane could make landfall anywhere between the Florida Panhandle and Southeast Texas next week.
Gustav has been blamed for more than 70 deaths in the Caribbean so far. By late Friday night, the storm was centered 25 miles west-southwest of Little Cayman Island and moving northwest near 10 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. Top winds were about 80 mph.
“Our biggest worry is that this is a long holiday weekend,” he said. “A lot of people are still trying to make plans, and all I can tell them is that if it starts heading this way, know that we’ll be prepared locally. As for you and your personal situation, you’ll have to make a decision.”
John Simsen, Galveston County’s emergency management coordinator, said the uncertainty makes planning difficult. He emphasized caution.
“The issue is that the models are kind of all over the place,” he said. “The potential to be a powerful storm is there. We’re still in the cone of error. We’ve got to plan as if it’s coming here. We’re trying to be conservative about it. We want to be careful about unduly alarming people.”
He said residents who registered with the state’s 211 telephone program were being contacted to see if they need help leaving the area, if evacuations are ordered.
Guardsmen on standby
As the storm gathered strength, Gov. Rick Perry stationed as many as 7,500 Texas National Guardsmen in Beaumont, Galveston and Houston and urged Texans to prepare for the worst. Fuel trucks and trailers were placed on standby to ensure adequate supplies.
“We will continue to ramp up our efforts as conditions dictate, so we will be ready regardless of what Mother Nature sends our way,” said Perry, who canceled plans to attend the Republican National Convention in Minnesota.
Perry said he may deploy an additional 2,500 Texas Guardsmen. About 1,600 shelters from Lubbock to Houston and beyond were being readied to handle as many as 300,000 residents.
The Governor’s Division of Emergency Management sent about 250 buses to Beaumont, Houston and Galveston to ferry the elderly and disabled or those with no transportation.
Some C-130 planes have also been flown into the coastal area and 25 paramedic buses have been located in Beaumont for anyone who may be seriously injured in the storm, said Steve McCraw, the state’s Homeland Security director.
Also on Friday, state officials began phoning nursing homes, state schools for the mentally disabled and assisted living facilities to make sure they are prepared should local officials call for an evacuation of the Texas coast.
Mayor Bill White spent the day in Fort Worth attending a meeting with his counterparts from other major Texas cities, but he remained in contact with top aides who participated in conference calls with statewide emergency officials, spokesman Frank Michel said.
The city began staffing two, 12-hour shifts at its own emergency center on North Shepherd. High-water trucks were being placed in strategic locations, he said, and fuel tanks were being filled. “Generally, we’re watchful, cautious.”
Local school district officials also said they were monitoring storm reports. Schools already are closed Monday for Labor Day.
Ben Wilson, spokesman for Galveston Independent School District, said officials there were carting important records to locations that are less susceptible to flooding or leaking.
“We’re just preparing because of the holiday weekend,” he said. “They are making sure all of the major items are stored and packed away and sent to remote locations.”
Transportation officials in the Houston Independent School District have been meeting for the last two days to prepare for a possible hurricane, district spokesman Terry Abbott said. All of the district’s school buses will be topped off with fuel today, and top administrators plan to conference over the weekend.
Officials urge preparation
As schools prepared, the Texas Department of Transportation announced that it would postpone a scheduled closure of the Katy Freeway High Occupancy Vehicle lane on Monday until Sept. 8. The agency suspended all other work-related lane closures through Monday, and opened its emergency center in Austin. Officials there also began urging residents to prepare in messages on signs along freeways across the area.
“While it’s certainly possible that Gustav could make landfall in another state, we need folks to be ready,” advised Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Chris Lippincott. “If we lose power, or if fuel is sent to support evacuation efforts, even folks on the dry side of the storm will want to have a full tank,” he said.
Other preparations include:
•The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston ordered dry ice, and began wrapping up computers and other equipment and putting them in rooms less susceptible to flooding and moving research animals to safer facilities.
•Texas Medical Center hospital officials said they most likely will make the call Sunday whether to activate disaster plans.
•The U.S. Coast Guard said it was staging helicopters and rescue boats in safe areas for any search-and-rescue efforts needed after the storm hits. Chronicle reporters Rad Sallee, Ericka Mellon, Dale Lezon, Todd Ackerman and Terri Langford contributed to this story.
COMMENT: Is anyone else just about fed up with the “anti-immunization” zealots who are putting others at risk? How about if they all live in a happy little commune with the home schoolers and scrap bookers and survivalists, oh yeah, and the women who breast feed their children until they go to college too?
Mumps outbreak in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AGASSIZ, B.C. — A growing mumps outbreak has been reported in the Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver and north of Washington state’s Whatcom County.
About 200 people have been verified to have the virus in areas as far west as Burnaby in the Vancouver suburbs, Dr. Elizabeth Brodkin, medical health officer for the Fraser Health Authority, said Tuesday.
In an average year, fewer than 100 cases are reported across Canada.
The British Columbia Centre for Disease Control is convening a provincial task force to meet in two weeks to develop a strategy for combating the outbreak, Brodkin said.
Mumps is spread through saliva, and health officials warned against the sharing of water bottles, drinking cups, musical instruments and cigarettes as well as coughing and sneezing without covering the nose and mouth.
“We’ve tried to do advertising to the general public about the importance of not sharing spit because that’s how this thing has spread,” she said. “We’re calling it the don’t-share-spit campaign.”
The virus arrived in British Columbia from Alberta, where 300 people were infected, and spread through a Fraser Valley religious group that shuns immunization, Brodkin said.
“It’s part of their belief system that this is not the right thing to do,” she said. “This outbreak, at least, got going because it took hold in an unimmunized community, so they are the ones who are really sitting ducks for infection.”
About a third of those who are infected with the virus don’t have any symptoms but could still be spreading it. Symptoms include swelling of the glands under the jaw and chin and can be as severe as meningitis or inflamed testicles.
SPAIN (8/30) http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/europe/7589771.stm: “All 154 bodies from last week’s plane crash in Madrid have been identified, the Spanish interior ministry says… Only 18 of 172 passengers and crew survived the accident…”
CHINA (8/31)http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/china.quake/index.html: “An earthquake hit southwest China Saturday, killing 22 people, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency. The United States Geological Survey measured the quake as a 5.7-magnitude. The quake hit Panzhihua City in Sichuan province. By Saturday night, 17 people were reported dead and about 100 others injured in Sichuan, Xinhua said. In neighboring Yunnan province, five people died and 35 others were injured, the news agency said. In addition, nearly 1,000 houses were destroyed and cracks appeared in walls of more than 400 houses, according to Xinhua…”
THAILAND (8/30)http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/thailand.protests.ap/index.html: “Thailand’s Parliament convened an emergency session Sunday at the request of the country’s prime minister, who acknowledged that his administration cannot control spiraling anti-government protests. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s People’s Power Party said it plans to present a compromise in Parliament to appease the thousands of protesters occupying his official compound for a sixth day. Protest leaders say they will not back down until Samak resigns, which he refuses to do…Protesters say that Western-style democracy has allowed corruption to flourish and they want a new government with a parliament in which most of the lawmakers are appointed and only 30 percent elected…”
MEXICO (8/30)http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/08/30/mexico.march.ap/index.html: “Tens of thousands of frustrated Mexicans, many carrying pictures of kidnapped loved ones, marched across the country Saturday to demand authorities act to stop a relentless tide of killings, abductions and shootouts…A sea of white-clad demonstrators carrying candles filled the 4 kilometer- route between the Mexico City’s Angel of Independence monument and the main Zocalo square. The government estimated the crowd in the nation’s capital at 50,000 shortly after the march began, but thousands continued to pour into the streets. Thousands more marched in other cities across the country…Homicides have surged as drug cartels battle each other for control of trafficking routes and stage vicious attacks against police nearly each day. In the gang-plagued border state of Chihuahua alone, there have been more than 800 killings this year, double the number during the same period last year…”
SRI LANKA (8/30)http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/30/srilanka.blast/index.html : “A bomb hidden in an apple vendor’s stall in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo exploded Saturday, wounding at least 45 people, police said. At least two children were among the wounded, police said. Police said they did not immediately know if the Tamil Tiger rebels, who are fighting for an independent homeland, were involved in the attack.
INDIA (8/29)http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/29/india.floods/index.html: “The grinding misery triggered by the massive floods in a downtrodden part of northeastern India and across the border in Nepal persisted Friday, with government and aid agencies swinging into action to help the 2 million-plus people fleeing high-rising, fast-moving waters…There are estimates from India that 2.7 million people in 1,600 villages have been affected, thousands of them marooned on thin strips of land peeking out from the cloudy brown water of the swollen Kosi River.UNICEF says the floods have “destroyed almost a quarter of a million homes affecting at least 1.4 million people” in Bihar. The number of displaced in Nepal totals 70,000…”
Many medical devices require specific storage conditions. The manufacturer’s instructions, in the product labeling will explain specific needs for refrigeration, freezing, or controlled room temperature.
Medical devices that have specific storage requirements are not safe if those requirements have been violated. But do not necessarily discard working devices without specific storage requirements, because this may cause product shortages.
If the power goes out:
Do not open refrigerators or freezers until the power is restored. Most refrigerators and freezers will maintain their temperatures for at least one day if they have not been opened.
If you must remove products from a refrigerator or freezer, keep the products on ice or dry ice at the required temperature until use.
When the power is restored:
Measure the temperature of the refrigerator or freezer. Discard products if the temperature has risen above the safe storage temperature.
If you are not sure whether or not a product is safe to use, run quality control checks (when appropriate) and contact the manufacturer.
Laboratory Reagents
The majority of reagents used for laboratory testing are temperature sensitive, with most requiring routine refrigeration.
A small subset of materials require freezer, or below freezer-level conditions (ranging from freezing to 70 degrees below freezing).
Without refrigeration, most reagents will deteriorate within hours. No reagents that require refrigeration will last more than 2-3 days without it.
Run control solutions to determine whether or not your reagent is still potent.
See product labeling/manufacturers instructions for specific storage temperature information.
When using glucose meters, always run controls to make sure the meter is functioning properly. Make sure control strips and solutions are appropriate for your meter. Both moisture and heat may compromise the performance of test strips. Users should check manufacturer’s instructions to determine if their testing materials will be safe for use.
Dialysis Machines
In some cases, dialyzers are reprocessed or re-used for the same patient. Any used dialyzer that is not reprocessed immediately after use should be refrigerated. If you cannot reprocess or refrigerate the dialyzer immediately, you should discard it.
Disinfectants and Sterilants
Store all sterilant and disinfectant products according to the manufacturers’ instructions, as indicated in the product labeling.
Many sterilants and disinfectants must be stored below 30° C (86° F). Storage above this temperature for more than a short time could jeopardize their stability and activity.
This includes most liquid chemical sterilants and high level disinfectants (used to reprocess reusable critical or semi-critical medical devices between patient uses) and general purpose disinfectants (used to disinfect non-critical medical devices and medical equipment surfaces).
Before each use of a liquid chemical sterilant/high level disinfectant solution, use a test strip or chemical monitoring device to ensure that the concentration of active ingredient(s) in the solution is adequate. Always use the specific test strip or chemical monitoring device recommended by the manufacturer or an equivalent strip or device. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using the test strip or monitoring device.
Discard any solutions that do not have an adequate concentration of active ingredient(s).
Skin Substitutes and Burn Products
Skin substitutes and burn treatment products have specific requirements for storage times and temperatures. Do not use any skin substitutes or burn treatment products if they have been stored at inappropriate temperatures.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions in the product labeling for specific refrigeration requirements.
Organ Preservation/Storage Solutions
Organ preservation and storage solutions require refrigeration prior to use and during organ transport and storage.
These solutions are used to hold organs after they are harvested from the donor and while they are transported to the implant hospital.
Always follow specific manufacturer’s instructions in the product labeling to identify safe storage temperatures for organ preservation and storage solutions. If temperatures have risen above safe levels, you should discard the solutions.
Dental Products
Most dental restorative and impression materials should last until the expiration date at controlled room temperatures. Higher room temperatures (80º F – 90º F) may reduce the working times for the materials, making them unacceptable for use.
Before using dental restorative materials, make sure that they are setting properly. Discard any products that do not set properly.
Many biologic based combination products (such as bone filling materials) require refrigeration of one or both components. Do not use these products if they have been without refrigeration.
Lock Flush Solutions
Store all lock flush solutions according to the manufacturer’s instructions, as indicated in the product labeling.
Lock flush solutions that contain heparin (used to keep catheters patent) must be stored below 30° C (86° F) and away from direct light. Storage above this temperature for more than a short time can jeopardize their stability and activity.
Human Heart Valve Allografts
Cryovalve human heart valve allografts are transported in a shipping container that can serve as a temporary holding container for up to 72 hours, providing the temperature does not exceed -70 degrees C (dry ice temperature).
Store all human heart valve allografts according to the manufacturer’s instructions, as indicated in the product labeling.
Ophthalmic Viscosurgical Devices OVDs
Refrigerate all ophthalmic viscosurgical devices (OVDs), except those made from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), to prevent breakdown of the material.
OVDs that must be refrigerated include:
Alcon – DuoVisc, Viscoat, ProVisc
AMO – Healon, Healon 5, Healon GV, Vitrax
Bausch & Lomb – Amvisc, Amvisc Plus
Do not use OVD products that require refrigeration if they have been without refrigeration.
Intra-Ocular Lenses (IOLs)
The Ciba Vision MemoryLens intra-ocular lens requires refrigeration. Do not use this lens if it has been without refrigeration.
Urology Products
The Bard Contigen Collagen Implant (an injectable bulking agent used for the treatment of urinary incontinence) requires refrigeration. Do not use this product if it has been without refrigeration.
Assisted Reproduction Media Products
Assisted reproduction media products require refrigeration. Do not use these products if they have been without refrigeration for more than 1-2 days.
Intro: With Gustav, “The Mother of all Storms,” causing some concern down South, it’s not a bad idea for those of you who frequent this site to review what should and should not be done just before a disaster strikes.
The Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) at the FDA offers the following information on the use of drugs that have been potentially affected by fire, flooding or unsafe water and the use of temperature-sensitive drug products when refrigeration is temporarily unavailable.
Drugs Exposed to Excessive Heat, such as Fire
The effectiveness of drugs can be destroyed by high temperatures associated with fires. You should consider replacing your medications if there’s a possibility that your medication was exposed to excessive heat, such as fires.
Lifesaving drugs
In a disaster, it is especially important to assure the effectiveness of lifesaving drugs, and therefore these should be replaced as soon as possible. However, if the lifesaving medication in its container looks normal to you, the medication can be used until a replacement is available.
Drugs Exposed to Unsafe Water
Drugs (pills, oral liquids, drugs for injection, inhalers, skin medications) that are exposed to flood or unsafe municipal water may become contaminated. This contamination may lead to diseases that can cause serious health effects.
We recommend that drug products – even those in their original containers – should be discarded if they have come into contact with flood or contaminated water. In the ideal setting, capsules, tablets, and liquids in drug containers with screw-top caps, snap lids, or droppers, should be discarded if they are contaminated. In addition, medications that have been placed in any alternative storage containers should be discarded if they have come in contact with flood or contaminated water.
Lifesaving Drugs
In many situations, these drugs may be lifesaving and replacements may not be readily available. For these lifesaving drugs, if the container is contaminated but the contents appear unaffected – if the pills are dry – the pills may be used until a replacement can be obtained. However, if a pill is wet, it is contaminated and should be discarded.
Reconstituted Drugs
For children’s drugs that have to be made into a liquid using water (reconstituted), the drug should only be reconstituted with purified or bottled water. Liquids other than water should not be used to reconstitute these products.
Drugs that Need Refrigeration
Some drugs require refrigeration (for example, insulin, somatropin, and drugs that have been reconstituted). If electrical power has been off for a long time, the drug should be discarded. However, if the drug is absolutely necessary to sustain life (insulin, for example), it may be used until a new supply is available. Because temperature sensitive drugs lose potency if not refrigerated, they should be replaced with a new supply as soon as possible. For example, insulin that is not refrigerated has a shorter shelf life than the labeled expiration date. (Please see Information Regarding Insulin Storage for more details.)
If a contaminated product is considered medically necessary and would be difficult to replace quickly, you should contact a healthcare provider (for example, Red Cross, poison control, health departments, etc.) for guidance.
If you are concerned about the efficacy or safety of a particular product, contact your pharmacist, healthcare provider or the manufacturer’s customer service department.
Intro: While New Orleans is going through a manadatory evacuation and the Feds are positioning its assets down South for Gustav’s arrival, let’s keep the other eye on Hanna. It seems like mid-week, it’ll be just about on the Bahamas.
Intro: As we watch Gustav cross the Gulf, here is information about The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale courtesy of noaa.gov.
The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane’s present intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall. Wind speed is the determining factor in the scale, as storm surge values are highly dependent on the slope of the continental shelf and the shape of the coastline, in the landfall region. Note that all winds are using the U.S. 1-minute average.
Category One Hurricane:
Winds 74-95 mph (64-82 kt or 119-153 km/hr). Storm surge generally 4-5 ft above normal. No real damage to building structures. Damage primarily to unanchored mobile homes, shrubbery, and trees. Some damage to poorly constructed signs. Also, some coastal road flooding and minor pier damage. Hurricane Lili of 2002 made landfall on the Louisiana coast as a Category One hurricane. Hurricane Gaston of 2004 was a Category One hurricane that made landfall along the central South Carolina coast.
Category Two Hurricane:
Winds 96-110 mph (83-95 kt or 154-177 km/hr). Storm surge generally 6-8 feet above normal. Some roofing material, door, and window damage of buildings. Considerable damage to shrubbery and trees with some trees blown down. Considerable damage to mobile homes, poorly constructed signs, and piers. Coastal and low-lying escape routes flood 2-4 hours before arrival of the hurricane center. Small craft in unprotected anchorages break moorings. Hurricane Frances of 2004 made landfall over the southern end of Hutchinson Island, Florida as a Category Two hurricane. Hurricane Isabel of 2003 made landfall near Drum Inlet on the Outer Banks of North Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane.
Category Three Hurricane:
Winds 111-130 mph (96-113 kt or 178-209 km/hr). Storm surge generally 9-12 ft above normal. Some structural damage to small residences and utility buildings with a minor amount of curtainwall failures. Damage to shrubbery and trees with foliage blown off trees and large trees blown down. Mobile homes and poorly constructed signs are destroyed. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Flooding near the coast destroys smaller structures with larger structures damaged by battering from floating debris. Terrain continuously lower than 5 ft above mean sea level may be flooded inland 8 miles (13 km) or more. Evacuation of low-lying residences with several blocks of the shoreline may be required. Hurricanes Jeanne and Ivan of 2004 were Category Three hurricanes when they made landfall in Florida and in Alabama, respectively.
Category Four Hurricane:
Winds 131-155 mph (114-135 kt or 210-249 km/hr). Storm surge generally 13-18 ft above normal. More extensive curtainwall failures with some complete roof structure failures on small residences. Shrubs, trees, and all signs are blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Extensive damage to doors and windows. Low-lying escape routes may be cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of structures near the shore. Terrain lower than 10 ft above sea level may be flooded requiring massive evacuation of residential areas as far inland as 6 miles (10 km). Hurricane Charley of 2004 was a Category Four hurricane made landfall in Charlotte County, Florida with winds of 150 mph. Hurricane Dennis (pdf) of 2005 struck the island of Cuba as a Category Four hurricane.
Category Five Hurricane:
Winds greater than 155 mph (135 kt or 249 km/hr). Storm surge generally greater than 18 ft above normal. Complete roof failure on many residences and industrial buildings. Some complete building failures with small utility buildings blown over or away. All shrubs, trees, and signs blown down. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Severe and extensive window and door damage. Low-lying escape routes are cut by rising water 3-5 hours before arrival of the center of the hurricane. Major damage to lower floors of all structures located less than 15 ft above sea level and within 500 yards of the shoreline. Massive evacuation of residential areas on low ground within 5-10 miles (8-16 km) of the shoreline may be required. Only 3 Category Five Hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since records began: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Camille (1969), and Hurricane Andrew in August, 1992. The 1935 Labor Day Hurricane struck the Florida Keys with a minimum pressure of 892 mb–the lowest pressure ever observed in the United States. Hurricane Camille struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast causing a 25-foot storm surge, which inundated Pass Christian. Hurricane Katrina (pdf), a category 5 storm over the Gulf of Mexico, was still responsible for at least 81 billion dollars of property damage when it struck the U.S. Gulf Coast as a category 3. It is by far the costliest hurricane to ever strike the United States. In addition, Hurricane Wilma (pdf) of 2005 was a Category Five hurricane at peak intensity and is the strongest Atlantic tropical cyclone on record with a minimum pressure of 882 mb.
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