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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response.

Rural Communities and Emergency Preparedness
Discusses rural considerations in emergency preparedness. Covers involvement of State Offices of Rural Health in bioterrorism preparedness. Discusses rural public health and EMS preparedness issues.
Date: 04/2002
Sponsoring organization: Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
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HHS emPOWER Map
Map system displaying the number of Medicare beneficiaries who have had a claim for one or more types of electricity-dependent durable medical and assistive equipment (DME) and devices, as well as at-risk combinations data for people who rely on essential healthcare services and electricity-dependent DME and devices. Users can access data to inform emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation public health activities.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Migrant and Seasonal Farm Worker Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide
Addresses challenges facing migrant and seasonal workers in the event of an emergency, stressing all-hazard preparedness. Provides actionable steps that can be taken by public health professionals pre-event, during the event, and post-event. Serves as a foundation for planning on the farm, family, or individual level for emergency preparedness.
Sponsoring organizations: National Rural Health Association, NORC Walsh Center for Rural Health Analysis, Western New York Public Health Alliance
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Risk Communicating Resources for Rural Areas: A Toolkit to Help Rural Public Health Clinics Communicate Their Message to the Community During an Emergency or Disaster.
Toolkit offering links to comprehensive, accessible, and ready-to-use materials to provide local health department staff with information to improve communication efforts. Places emphasis on challenges encountered in rural settings and targeted for use among county health department nurse managers, supervisors, and other public health staff.
Sponsoring organization: Georgia Department of Community Health
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Neighborhoods at Risk
Tool offering maps and reports of neighborhoods by environmental risks and disparities in impact. Data available at the census tract, city, county, or state level.
Sponsoring organization: Headwaters Economics
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Wildfire Risk to Communities
Offers interactive maps, charts, and resources showing risk of wildfire at the city, county, or state level. Includes impact to vulnerable populations such as those in poverty, with limited transportation, by age, with a disability, and more. Includes recommended actions for reducing risk for community members, elected officials, healthcare services, and more.
Sponsoring organizations: Headwaters Economics, Pyrologix LLC, Rocky Mountain Research Station's Missoula Fire Sciences Laboratory, USDA Forest Service
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The U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index
Interactive map of 184 indicators identifying climate vulnerability in health, social determinants of health, environment, and infrastructure at the state, county, and census tract levels.
Sponsoring organizations: Darkhorse Analytics, Environmental Defense Fund, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University
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Broadband Climate Risk Mitigation Tool
Tool that provides hazard risk data alongside broadband access data for the purpose of infrastructure decision-making while considering natural hazards. Provides information at the county, address, or census tract level.
Sponsoring organization: Center on Rural Innovation
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Climate and Hazard Mitigation Planning (CHaMP) Tool
A mapping tool that shows county- and state-level changes in climate between 1981 and 2021 for 15 U.S. states. Allows user to select for climate events such as extreme heat, wildfire, severe weather, tropical storms/hurricanes, and more.
Sponsoring organizations: Carolina Integrated Sciences and Assessments (CISA), Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA), Mid-Atlantic Integrated Sciences and Assessments (MARISA)
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Rural Emergency Preparedness and Response Toolkit
Resources and strategies to support rural emergency planning, response, and recovery. Includes detailed case studies, and discusses cross-cutting issues, specific types of disasters, funding, and more.
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 11/29/2024