Nonfatal injuries following Hurricane Katrina--New Orleans, Louisiana, 2005

The Journal of Safety Research has partnered with the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, to briefly report on some of the latest findings in the research community. This report is the fourth edition in a series of CDC articles.

An active injury and illness surveillance system was established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (LDHH) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in functioning hospitals and medical clinics.

The surveillance system recorded 7,543 nonfatal injuries among residents and relief workers between September 8-October 14, 2005. The leading mechanisms of injury identified in both groups were fall and cut/stab/pierce, with a greater proportion of residents compared to relief workers injured during the repopulation period. Clean-up was the most common activity at the time of injury for both groups.

Injuries documented through this system underscore the need for surveillance of exposed populations to determine the injury burden and initiate injury prevention activities and health communication campaigns.