Texas Flooding Situation Report #1

July 7, 2024  /  TLP:CLEAR 

Healthcare Ready is ENGAGED for this event. We are monitoring potential concerns for supply chain disruptions and impacts on healthcare services on our Alert Hub. This situation is evolving rapidly, and Healthcare Ready will provide major updates as needed. 

Contents

• Situation Overview
• Key Updates

• Critical Healthcare Infrastructure 

• Vulnerable Populations
• Impacts to Supply Chain
• About Healthcare Ready

Situation Overview

Severe flash flooding is impacting multiple counties across Central and Southeast Texas with 89 people dead, including 48 adults and 27 children, following days of heavy rainfall and saturated ground conditions. Areas hardest hit by floods was Kerr County, which reported the highest number of fatalities from the floods as of Monday. Other areas, including parts of Austin and San Antonio are experiencing minimal road closures, power outages, as of July 7th. The National Weather Service had issued flash flood warnings across much of the region, with rainfall totals exceeding 10 inches in some areas. Additional thunderstorms are forecasted throughout the week, compounding the risk of continued flooding and infrastructure disruptions. RxOpen is activated, displaying the operational status of pharmacies and healthcare facilities in the affected areas to help emergency managers, responders, and the public find care quickly. 

Key Updates

• Power
  • According to PowerOutage.us, there are no widespread outages, with only 416 customers without power in Kerr County as of 3pm on July 7.

• Emergency Declarations
  • On July 6, President Trump approved federal disaster assistance for Texas.
  • On July 5, Governor Abbot expanded the declaration to include Bexar, Burnet, Caldwell, Guadalupe, Travis, and Williamson counties. 
  • On July 4, Governor Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 15 counties. Counties include Bandera, Coke, Comal, Concho, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, Menard, Reeves, San Saba, and Tom Green. 
  • On July 2, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) activated emergency response resources in anticipation of flooding in parts of West and Central Texas. 

• Sheltering
  • Medical Shelter – First United Methodist Church: 321 Thompson Dr, Kerrville, TX 78028
  • Calvary Temple Church: 3000 Loop 534 Kerrville, TX 78028
  • Notre Dame Catholic Church: 929 Main Street Notre Dame Catholic Church Kerrville, TX 78028
  • Schreiner University: Event Center, 2100 Memorial Blvd Kerrville, TX 78028 

• Distribution points for meals and essentials:
  • Hidalgo County – The Salvation Army in McAllen: 1600 N 23rd St, McAllen, TX 78501
  • Cameron and Willacy Counties – The Salvation Army in Harlingen: 201 E Monroe Avenue Harlingen, TX 78550 

Critical Healthcare Infrastructure 

RxOpen Data

• RxOpen is now active following extreme flooding in Texas. 
  • Dialysis Centers: No facilities had been impacted by the flooding event as of the evening of July 6.  
  • The table below provides a snapshot of pharmacy status across the potentially impacted areas:

• Impacts to Healthcare
  • As of 2pm on July 7, no major impacts to healthcare facilities have been reported. 

Vulnerable Populations in Affected Counties 

• Populations with existing health, economic, or housing vulnerabilities may face disproportionate impacts during prolonged outages, flooding, or service disruptions. 
  • Electricity-Dependent Individuals: Approximately 27,679 Medicare beneficiaries in the affected area rely on electricity-dependent durable medical equipment, placing them at increased risk during events that may cause power outages. (Source: emPOWER)
  • Children under 18: Over 1.16 million children and youth under 18 reside in the impacted region and may face disruptions to healthcare, education, and family services. (Source: ACS)
  • Unhoused Population: An estimated 73,600 individuals are experiencing homelessness and face heightened exposure risks and limited access to shelter or medical care. (Source: ACS)
  • Medicaid Enrollees: As of 2024 data, more than 538,000 individuals in the affected areas were enrolled in Medicaid. Low-income individuals often face heightened impacts during disasters, including challenges accessing care, replacing medications, and securing transportation to shelters or safe locations. (Source: Texas Health and Human Services)  

Map of Medicare Enrollees: Electricity-Dependent Residents “At-Risk” During Power Outages (Source: emPOWER)  

Impacts to Supply Chain

• As of 2pm on July 7, no major manufacturing or distribution impacts have been reported. 

About Healthcare Ready  

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