Public Health Preparedness & Response

According to the Carteret County Hazard Mitigation Plan, Carteret County is vulnerable to the following hazards:
  • Drought / Extreme Heat
  • Earthquake
  • Wildfire
  • Floods
  • Winter Storms / Freezes
  • Hurricane
  • Severe Storms / Tornadoes
  • Storm Surge
  • Coastal Erosion
  • Hazardous Materials
Public Health Emergencies
Some of these threats are more likely than others to occur in Carteret County.
As you can see, emergencies come in many forms. Some emergencies have a few days’ notice (i.e. Hurricane) and some occur without warning (i.e. Hazardous Material spill).

Public Health emergencies can occur at any time without warning. Public Health emergencies can occur as a result of a natural disaster (i.e. 2011 earthquake / radiation emergency in Japan) or can occur on its own (i.e. pandemic influenza – H1N1).

Examples of public health emergencies include:
  • Bioterrorism
  • Chemical spill/explosion
  • Communicable Disease outbreak
  • Pandemic Influenza (i.e. H1N1)
  • Food-borne Illness
  • Radiation incidents
Plan Development
Although these are examples of public health emergencies, the Health Department plans for all types of emergencies and disasters. Health Department planning efforts focus on the public health, medical and mental health needs after a disaster or emergency. To ensure consistency, the Health Department works with local and state first responders (i.e. State Public Health, local Emergency Management, Fire / EMS, Law Enforcement, Hospitals, etc.) and private organizations in plan development.

Guide to Public Health Emergency
The Carteret County Health Department has developed plans, policies and procedures for how we should protect individuals after emergencies and disasters in our County. Planning for any emergency requires considering scenarios that could disrupt daily activities, electricity, water and transportation, and threaten the health of citizens. This "Guide to Public Health Emergency / Disaster Preparedness and Response" offers a wide variety of information and resources to help you successfully plan for most emergencies and keep you as safe and healthy as possible.