Pediatricians' Experiences 80 Miles up the River: Baton Rouge Pediatricians' Experiences Meeting the Health Needs of Evacuated Children

Abstract

On August 29, 2005, the Gulf Coast experienced one of our nation's most devastating natural disasters in modern history with the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. Heavy damage was inflicted from Louisiana to Alabama, causing Katrina to become the most destructive and costliest natural disaster in the history of the United States and likely the deadliest since 1928. This article documents the preparations, responses, experiences, and lessons learned from the point of view of just a few of the practicing general pediatricians in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. Baton Rouge is the state capital, located approximately 80 miles northwest of New Orleans and situated on the east bank of the Mississippi River. The 2000 census data list the city's population as 227818, with the metropolitan population being 602894. It is the closest urban area to the region of Louisiana impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Medical care is supplied to a 7-parish area of approximately 1 million people. In the days before Katrina, the population of greater Baton Rouge was estimated to have doubled. It is interesting to note that almost 13 months to the date before Katrina, a statewide hurricane exercise involving a category 3 strike on New Orleans was rehearsed. In July 2004, in the State Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge, officials from 50 state, federal, and volunteer organizations and Louisiana parishes participated in a mock scenario almost identical to the reality of Katrina. During the tabletop exercise, more than 250 planners used the scenario to develop a recovery plan for the 13 parishes in the New Orleans area. This exercise was known as “Hurricane Pam.” The Hurricane Pam exercise envisioned sustained winds of 120 mph and up to 20 inches of rain to parts of southeast Louisiana and a storm surge that topped levees in the New Orleans … Address correspondence to David E. Thomas, MD, PhD, FAAP. E-mail: DThoma01{at}ololrmc.com