Tropical Storm Bertha formed along the Gulf Coast late Monday and into Tuesday morning. The storm system is currently south of the Florida Panhandle and is expected to move west along the Gulf Coast throughout the week.
Based on the projected path, we can expect to see tropical storm conditions along the coastline of Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. Coastal counties and communities should expect to see tropical storm conditions along with heavy rainfall.
By Thursday morning and through the rest of the week, Tropical Storm Bertha is expected to move across southern Louisiana and into Southeast Texas, bringing heavy rainfall and potential flooding.
Last week, areas within South and Central Texas experienced flood emergencies that they are still recovering from. As Tropical Storm Bertha moves west towards Texas later this week, the tropical storm conditions could exacerbate the flooding impacts in those areas.
Impacts on Healthcare
The HHS emPOWER map, which displays at-risk Medicare beneficiaries who rely on essential health care services and use electricity-dependent DMEs, shows that there are many at-risk individuals along the coastal communities of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. With tropical storm conditions along the Gulf Coast, heavy rainfall could cause power outages that could impact electricity dependent medical devices and services. Additionally, localized flooding could have an impact on health care services for patients that require medical assistance at a specific facility or at home.
Tropical Storm Bertha will pass south of the Florida Panhandle however tropical storm conditions could be expected across those coastal counties. The Florida Panhandle counties are predominantly rural so heavy rainfall and localized flooding to transportation corridors are the biggest threat to those communities seeking shelter or medical services.
Additionally, coastal Alabama and Mississippi have a considerable number of rural communities. Nearly 80% of the counties in Mississippi are considered rural and all counties in Mississippi are designated whole or in part as medically underserved areas, according to HRSA.
Much like the Florida Panhandle, the impacts from heavy rainfall and localized flooding could severely impact transportation of resources and access to medical care due to road closures.
Starting Wednesday night, we can expect to see tropic storm conditions throughout Southern Louisiana. It is critical for emergency managers, local health officials, and individuals to monitor road conditions to ensure the movement of resources and access to medical care.
Towards the end of the week, Tropical Storm Bertha is projected to downgrade to a tropical depression as it brings more heavy rainfall to Southeast and Central Texas. The biggest risk is more rainfall to the region that just experienced flooding a week prior. Health officials should closely monitor ongoing recovery efforts to ensure that additional rainfall does not exacerbate the flood impacts seen in Texas thus far.
Impacts to Supply Chain
Offshore energy companies, including Chevron and BP, have evacuated nonessential personnel as a precaution.
Utility companies along the Gulf Coast are also activating emergency response plans.
As of Tuesday, July 21, all ports along the projected path of Tropical Storm Bertha remain open but some ports have updated port condition status:
Port of Houma has updated its port condition from Whiskey to X-Ray.
Port of New Orleans remains at Whiskey, with a regulated navigation area being enforced.
Port of Mobile has updated its port condition from Normal to Whiskey.
Texas ports (Arthur, Houston-Galveston, and Corpus Christi) all remain Normal at this time. However, as Tropical Storm Bertha moves west, these port conditions are expected to change.
Road conditions should be monitored throughout the rest of the week:
If you become aware of situations that may adversely affect healthcare supply or patient care from this event, or if you would like to request assistance, please contact the Healthcare Ready Support Team at Alerts@HealthcareReady.org.
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