Bryon Backenson New York State Department of Health

*Response Planning for Climate Change in New York New York State Department of Health Extreme Weather Planning & Response Guide

*Climate change refers to any significant change in the measures of climate lasting for an extended period of time. In other words, climate change includes major changes in temperature, precipitation, or wind patterns, among other effects, that occur over several decades or longer.

*Planning for the Anticipated but Unknown

*New York State Studies

New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Conducted a research study and

provided a report analyzing Climate Change Adaptation in NYS

The group developed projections for NYS based on 16 global climate models and 3 emission scenarios

These findings were then applied to 8 sectors: Water Resources, Coastal Zones, Ecosystems, Agriculture, Energy, Transportation, Telecommunications, and Public Health

* Key Findings for Public Health

Temperatures will facilitate extreme weather events on their own (extreme cold, extreme hot) Increased potential for extreme events (e.g.

hurricanes) Increased stagnant air events - expanded durations of

ozone Increased rates of mortality

Extreme precipitation - increased flooding potentials Diminished water and food supply quality Interruption of service delivery - healthcare, etc. Increased respiratory illness related to flooding

conditions (e.g. Mold) Air Pollution/Aeroallergens

Impacts to air quality

* How Do We Plan for Extremes?

In 2012 the Office of Health Emergency Preparedness pulled together an internal workgroup of Subject Matter Experts: Environmental Health Epidemiology Public Information Emergency planning & response

Key considerations for the Extreme Weather Plan What plans currently exist? (e.g. Coastal Storm Plan, All

Hazards Plan) How would this plan fit into the existing planning

universe? How do we define response actions for Extreme Weather?

NYSDOH currently maintains an All Hazards based Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, which includes the Department’s Incident Management System Plan IMS is the Department’s adaptation of Incident Command

and establishes the methods, roles and responsibilities for the department in ALL emergencies

The Extreme Weather Planning & Response Guide sits as an Appendix in the IMS Annex

The Plan: Defines extreme weather events in New York Identifies the Department’s role in a defined weather

event Outlines the Department’s actions

* How Do We Plan for Extremes?

The work group first defined Extreme Weather Events using National Weather Service and NOAA

This also included identifying weather conditions specific to New York State - Lake Effect Snow Watches

& Warnings

Primary Response actions were defined, including Departmental resources often used in an emergency

The group defined by EVENT TYPE potential consequences and recovery concerns as well as Potential Secondary Events e.g. Hurricane High

Winds and Flooding Power outages

The NYSDOH Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan is formally updated every 4 years, however, portions are updated as needed

Hurricane Sandy 2012 Primary plans used for response were the NYC Coastal

Storm Plan and the NYS Response and Recovery Annexes While the Extreme Weather Planning & Response

Guide was not formally implemented, the public messaging included in the plan is a primary response role

More on Sandy tomorrow… The plan has been used in 3 additional EOC activations

for severe winter weather e.g. Winter Storm NEMO, January 2013

* Plan Activation & Moving Forward

Department preparedness/awarness and “culture change” Do other areas of DOH know about impacts of climate

change? Sometimes get lost in the shuffle, with much emphasis on

disasters, severe weather events, etc. Changes are perhaps slow to be noticed, but will persist for

years and tax the (already shrinking) public health infrastructure Changing ranges of zoonotic and arthropod-borne diseases

due to impacts of climate on their vectors, hosts, and reservoirs

Impacts on foodborne and waterborne diseases due to changes in agriculture, food handling, use of HVAC equipment, etc.

Need to plan for these as well May start as disaster or emergency Many coupled with increases in technology, leading to

increased burden

* What About More Insidious Impacts from Climate Change?

*Questions ?

Thanks to all those who contributed to these slides and this work: Sarah-Anne Roberts, Millie Eidson, Kathleen

Clancy, Ed Fitzgerald, Shao Lin, Hwa-Gan ChangNYS Office of Heath Emergency Preparedness

518.474.2893