The Texas flood registry: a flexible tool for environmental and public health practitioners and researchers.

BACKGROUND: Making landfall in Rockport, Texas in August 2017, Hurricane Harvey resulted in unprecedented flooding, displacing tens of thousands of people, and creating environmental hazards and exposures for many more. OBJECTIVE: We describe a collaborative project to establish the Texas Flood Registry to track the health and housing impacts of major flooding events. METHODS: Those who enroll in the registry answer retrospective questions regarding the impact of storms on their health and housing status. We recruit both those who did and did not flood during storm events to enable key comparisons. We leverage partnerships with multiple local health departments, community groups, and media outlets to recruit broadly. We performed a preliminary analysis using multivariable logistic regression and a binomial Bayesian conditional autoregressive (CAR) spatial model. RESULTS: We find that those whose homes flooded, or who came into direct skin contact with flood water, are more likely to experience a series of self-reported health effects. Median household income is inversely related to adverse health effects, and spatial analysis provides important insights within the modeling approach. SIGNIFICANCE: Global climate change is likely to increase the number and intensity of rainfall events, resulting in additional health burdens. Population-level data on the health and housing impacts of major flooding events is imperative in preparing for our planet's future.

Leveraging Data Analytics and Scalable Information Technology Tools to Deliver a Culture of Care during an Emergent Natural Disaster.

Rice University's Culture of Care represents a commitment to ensuring that all are treated with respect, compassion, and deep care. Rice leveraged information technology (IT) to deliver its Culture of Care, in responding to Hurricane Harvey. IT tools were used to gather key information on Rice's over 12000 community members. These data were fused with structured university data, enabling data-driven disaster response, with actionable information pushed to local managers. Our successful communication and response programs were all driven by the data analyses.