Our chosen community is a small village
inhabited by 6,400 people and is located along the east side of the a
river about 7 miles north of the city of a medium sized city. The village is 21.4
square miles with a population of 238 people per square mile. The average
elevation of the village is about 900 ft. The main industry in this area is
construction, employing about 13.2% of the population. From December to March, the community, on
average, records a higher than average snowfall when compared to the national
average. From May to September the village is also above average for rainfall
with peak rainfall typically in August. The most commons natural disaster recorded
in this area are storms and floods, flooding may be contributed to the
proximity of the river and the low elevation. In addition, the main
industry is construction and there is also a lot of land used for farming as
shown in the above view satellite picture of the area (On board informatics, 2009). This is significant because
a large majority of the flood area is made of material that is quickly
saturated with water in the event of a flood, increasing the amount of land
that will be effected. You can also see that there are multiple small lakes in
addition to the river which
with the melting of large quantities of snow in the spring can easily become
overwhelmed with water.
Flooding is a significant
environmental hazard because it has multidimensional effects on the population
some of which are positive (such as depositing nutrient rich sediment but other
effects can be very negative for the community. Floods threaten to decrease overall water
quality due to overwhelmed sewer systems, damage land and property, destroy crops/livestock,
cause mild to severe injuries up to and including death, and increase occurrence of water borne diseases. The group of people most at risk are those residents
living near the banks of the river and surrounding lakes.
In this area, the
most pertinent risk for this group of the population would be loss of property
and direct injury. As public health nurses it is important to address these
issues in order to promote quick recovery and overall well-being of the
community. Some ways that public health nurses can intervene include raising
awareness of the dangers of fast moving flood water including: avoid driving
cars through deep water, do not attempt to maneuver through water, and
potentially dangerous contents of the water including sharp objects and water
borne diseases. Raising awareness is the first line of defense but should injury
still occur public health can provide relief efforts for victims These efforts
could include providing clean water and food, treatment of injury, water
quality testing, and access to other relief resources.
Overall the village is a very safe community. However, you can not plan for natural
disasters and so it is important to have a plan of attack ahead of time to
prevent serious complications should the event occur.
References
Village of lake hallie
(2009). Village of lake hallie: Chippewa county, wi. Retrieved from http://www.lakehallie.us/
Onboard informatics (2012).
Hallie, wisconsin. Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/Hallie-Wisconsin.html#top
Karissa,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post and thought you had a lot of interesting information and ideas. I agree that it is very important to have a plan for natural disasters. It is impossible to know when such an event may occur or how much damage it may do. Without a plan people may panic and then things could become chaotic and even more difficult to deal with. Although flooding and other natural disasters will still have detrimental effects on the community a plan could help ease this burden. Public health nurses play a very important role when it comes to natural disasters. They can be involved in creating the plan, helping people once the disaster hits and aiding people in getting their lives back on track long after the disaster has taken its toll.
Another area of your post that I found interesting was that floods can increase the occurrence of diseases. I decided to look a bit more into this topic. According to The World Health Organization (WHO) "the major risk factor for outbreaks associated with flooding is the contamination of drinking-water facilities, and even when this happens the risk of outbreaks can be minimized if the risk is well recognized and disaster-response addresses the provision of clean water as a priority" (WHO, 2013). Transmission of water-borne illnesses such as typhoid fever, cholera, leptospirosis and hepatitis A can be increased due to contaminated drinking water. Direct contact with polluted waters can also lead to wound infections, dermatitis, conjunctivitis, and ear, nose, and throat infections. Another problem is that flooding may "indirectly lead to an increase in vector-borne diseases through the expansion in the number and range of vector habitats"(WHO, 2013). Vector-borne illnesses include malaria, dengue and yellow fever and West Nile.
After reading your post and the additional information found from the WHO it brings to light how dangerous flooding can be in ways beyond physical damage. Public health nurses must be aware of all the problems that can stem from a natural disaster and be prepared. Instituting a plan before a disaster occurs is the best way to control the outcome of a flood, or other disaster.
Reference
(2013). Flooding and communicable diseases fact sheet. Retrieved from
http://www.who.int/hac/techguidance/ems/flood_cds/en
/index1.html
Karissa, I really enjoyed learning about flooding issues in Wisconsin, especially so close to Eau Claire. It seems like flooding is a type of disaster that many people in this area overlook as a possibility of happening to them. When I think of flooding, I tend to think of the large natural disasters that affect big portions of the country. It’s hard to associate this disaster with the Midwest, but this is when education needs to come in so that others are aware of high-risk areas and the potential damage that can be brought to their community and home. Public health nurses and workers need to raise awareness of this type of disaster not only locally, but maybe across the state and regionally.
ReplyDeleteAs I am a current college student, my parents have always had a handle on the insurance and necessary coverage. Many people opt out of including flooding coverage in their homeowners insurance due to the extra costs and geography of housing location. According to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), “most homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage” (NFIP).This is a critical decision for new homebuyers and even current home owners as they budget accordingly. When people are looking to buy homeowners insurance, it is essential that they are educated about high-risk flood areas and the potential effects it could have on them. It could save people thousands of dollars and ensure a safe disaster plan. For example, in your community Karissa, the above-average statistics of rain and snowfall each year may be a strong enough case for people to add this type of coverage. Others may think that it is a waste of money because they don’t think it will happen to them. Either way education is a critical piece to preventing the dangers that flooding may bring.
Finally, as part of the NFIP, there is a program called Flood Start. It is a plan that implements awareness and risk assessments for communities. An example from the website includes sharing flood risk messages via Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks to get the message out into the community (NFIP). Communities may wish to implement a “grown up safety crash course” for adults and those just starting out who have never thought about insurance or disaster plans. This type of guidance and education will not only help communities as a whole to thrive, but ensure individual health and safety.
References
National Flood Insurance Program. (NFIP). Resources: Flood facts.
Retrieved from http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/pages/flood_facts.jsp
This was a very interesting situation to read about. I would think it would be interesting to do research on a small city with a big dilemma like the one you described above. I grew up in a small community, and I can remember when our city actually flooded. It was a very rare disaster for our area, and I can remember all of the damage to not only homes and businesses but also to the country roads and farm fields. I could not imagine how this population feels having to constantly plan for flooding and constantly rebuild and clean up from flooding damage. I would imagine that the increased risk for flooding in that area would cause a lot of extra stress on the individuals and community as a whole.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to find that, according to the FEMA website, floods are the most common type of natural disaster in the United States. They also recommended that everyone should prepare for a flood by having flood insurance, preparing an emergency kit, and making a family communication plan (2013). These preparation tips may seem obvious and simple, but taking these steps to be prepared if a flood should arise, could help dampen chaos and keep families together.
Floods. (February 11, 2013). FEMA website. Retrieved from http://www.ready.gov/floods
Karissa, I think you hit on some very valid points while talking about flooding. With so much farmland in the area there are a lot of implications to consider when preparing for this disaster. Also, with construction being their main industry, it can really harm the community’s economy.
ReplyDeleteI agree that public health nurses need to address these issues and to educate the community on the importance of having a plan in place, so the community can recover from the disaster as quickly and easily as possible. Without a plan in effect, more people could be harmed in the event that this disaster did occur. By being educated they will know about the possible risks in the flood and drinking water and to avoid the fast current if in their car.
In the article Global Health Impacts of Floods: Epidemiologic Evidence, it states that “the most readily identifiable flood deaths are those that occur acutely from drowning or trauma, such as being hit by objects in fast-flowing waters” (Ahern, Kovats, Wilkinson, et al, 2005). Many drownings occur when vehicles are swept away by floodwaters, especially in the United States. These deaths are very much preventable and public health nurses can educate the high-risk communities.
Ahern, Mike, Kovats, Sari R., Wilkinson, Paul, Few, Roger, and Matthies, Franziska. (2005). Global Health Impacts of Floods: Epidemiologic Evidence. Epidemiologic Rev, 27(1), 36-46. doi:10.1093/epirev/mxi004
Choosing flooding as an environmental disaster for your community is something I can relate to. Flooding is a potential disaster for the community my group is working on. Our community is located right next to Lake Michigan and has had a past history of flooding near the shoreline. As the role of the public health nurse was being described in your blog I started to think of the primary, secondary and tertiary preventions in disasters.
ReplyDeleteSince we are talking about flooding as a natural environmental disaster, there isn’t much in our control as nurses to prevent the unfortunate changes in weather. However, anticipating that such events like flooding could occur and could do so unpredictably, primary prevention could include awareness of what to do in the event of high risk flooding such as where to go for help and ways to stop the spread of flooding. During the event of hurricane Sandy, our community posted a news article relaying information on who to contact for emergency assistance and provided information on where to obtain sandbags to stop the spread of flooding along the shoreline and near homes at risk (Potente, 2012). If flooding were to have gotten worse in unsafe weather a plan to evacuate could have been the form of a secondary prevention as the storm was occurring. Research on tertiary prevention of flooding dealt with how to handle water damage and ways to enforce damaged structures in ways to prevent reoccurrence of damage. It is my belief from a nursing perspective that this last prevention if left unattended could lead to health risks from mold growth on water damaged items that uneducated community members may leave, expecting it to dry on its own. Education on all prevention plans can help community members understand what to expect during the unexpected.
Potente, J. (2012, October 29). Hurricane sandy’s local effect to be felt with gale-force
winds. Kenosha News. Retrieved from http://www.kenoshanews.com/news
Karissa,
ReplyDeleteYou did a nice job explaining the risks of flooding in your community. Flooding is something that not only applies to our community as well, but also my hometown of Wisconsin Rapids. Wisconsin Rapids has been flooded many times throughout my childhood. Recently in 2010, the river flooded over the banks into many homes and roadways causing evacuations and extensive damage.
Adding reading Amber's comment that "Many people opt out of including flooding coverage in their homeowners insurance due to the extra costs and geography of housing location" it made me wonder what the cost of a flood is for these homeowners?
The government site Flood Smart (2013), provides an interactive tool to show what a flood would do to a home, inch by inch. The tool assesses the estimated total losses of an average 1,000 and 2,000 square foot home with typical household items based on the amount of water damage. The results were astounding to me!
The total losses for a 1,000 square foot home with a 1-inch flood was $10,600. Respectively, a 2,000 square foot home was $20,920. That’s only 1-inch of water! A 6-inch flood would total $20,150 and $39,150 while a 1-foot flood could cause total losses of $27,150 and $52,220. And just to make it interesting, a 4-foot flood could cost $39,950 and $74,580 (Flood Smart, 2011). Now these costs vary from state to state and home to home but Flood Smart stated that “from 2007 to 2011, the average residential flood claim amounted to almost $30,000” (2011).
So what does this have to do with public heath nursing? Individuals who buy flood insurance will not only be protected financially but also may be more likely to be prepared in the event of a flood by having an emergency kit and communication plan. By financially protecting their home, in the event of a disaster they will have the financial assurance that despite the damage, they are able to continue to care for themselves and their family to keep them safe and healthy.
References
Flood Smart. (2013, February 1). Retrieved from http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/
pages/flooding_flood_risks/the_cost_of_flooding.jsp