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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.

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.
Type: Website
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.
Type: Tool
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.
Type: Tool
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.
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organizations: Darkhorse Analytics, Environmental Defense Fund, Texas A&M Transportation Institute, Texas A&M University
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Climate and Health Outlook Portal
Interactive maps showing national and county-level forecasts for heat, wildfire, and drought. Discusses the health impacts of each climate event and populations at high risk. Maps updated monthly. See also the monthly regional report.
Additional links: Monthly Regional Report
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Office of Climate Change and Health Equity
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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.
Type: Tool
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.
Type: Map/Mapping System
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.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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FEMA Case Study Library
A repository of FEMA case studies and best practice reports to help communities plan and recover from disasters. Information is searchable by title, keyword, location, incident, and report type. Pre-selected collections of information are also available by topic.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Federal Emergency Management Agency
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Disaster Behavioral Health Resources
Offers a variety of resources for professionals working in disaster behavioral health fields. Includes the Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series Resource Center, an information series searchable by specific population and type of disaster. Also, comprises publications discussing new research and information: The Dialogue, a quarterly newsletter; SAMHSA DTAC Bulletin, a monthly journal; and SAMHSA DTAC Supplemental Research Bulletin, providing practitioners, planners, and responders a review of current published research and literature. Several tip sheets are included to help first responders, healthcare professionals, and survivors after disasters and traumatic events.
Type: Website
Sponsoring organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 6/12/2024