Source: The Washington Post / Getty
Researchers believe the establishment of the Hurricane Harvey Registry, similar to the 9/11 Registry will allow us to have a better understanding on how last year’s devastating storm impacted us in regards to everything from mental health, depression, binge drinking, physical ailments and more.
The registry was created by the Hurricane Harvey Registry is a joint venture of Environmental Defense Fund, Fort Bend County, Harris County Public Health Department, Houston Health Department, Montgomery County, and Rice University. It is funded by the Environmental Defense Fund, the Cullen Trust for Healthcare, and the National Institutes of Health in the hopes of achieving a comprehensive registry that will aid understanding and policy for years to come regarding future storms.
“It’s important that every Houstonian and everyone in the Harvey-impacted region participate in the Hurricane Harvey Registry,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “The information from this initiative will help public officials identify disparities to better prepare for future weather events.”
The Hurricane Harvey Registry has already surveyed 2,400 people who lived in the area when the Septemeber 2017 storm rolled into town. Project lead Marie Lynn Miranda, who also serves as the provost of Rice University, aims to have that number reach 5,000 by December 21st. That’s when the team will begin analyzing the data to issue its first report.
For that to occur, Miranda wants everyone living in areas affected by Harvey — whether or not your home flooded or took on damage — to lend their voices in a 10-minute survey.
“What programs are they going to roll out in the schools for kids who have experienced trauma? What programs are they going to roll out for people with asthma?” Miranda asked. “This information will help people in these other areas. But we also need it for ourselves.”
