Data in Crisis — Rethinking Disaster Preparedness in the United States

Abstract

To protect our most vulnerable communities from increasingly frequent climate-related extreme weather events, public health agencies and hospitals need to know — before, during, and after a disaster — who and where these vulnerable people are, their hazard-specific risks, and whether they have been displaced from their networks of care. We have all the necessary building blocks in place to ensure that this information gets where it needs to go, but sustained commitment and investment in the necessary data systems, methodologic tools, and translational pipelines will be required to prepare for the natural disasters facing us.