CHC Radio

CDC Director Warns of More Dangers From Hurricane Helene

Originally broadcast October 2, 2024

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen described to “Conversations on Health Care” that their role right now is ensuring impacted residents understand the health risks that are present and could continue to grow in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Dr. Cohen says while local, state and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials are in the acute response phase, CDC is doing its part by ensuring people realize there are growing risks, including from flooded roads that are not safe to drive over. The CDC says when returning to a flooded home after a natural disaster, be aware that the house may be contaminated with mold or sewage, which can make people sick.

“As a North Carolinian, my heart goes out to the people in the western part of our state. People had power outages, which means food has spoiled in the refrigerator…make sure you’re not eating spoiled food,” says Dr. Cohen, who previously served as North Carolina’s top state health official. “Our water systems have gotten hard hit, so thinking about whether if you need to be on bottled water. In the recovery phase…we’re likely to see more mosquitos because we’ll see standing water and making sure folks are doing what they need to do to protect themselves.”

Click now to hear her interview with Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.

Conversations on Health Care

Share
Published by
Conversations on Health Care

Recent Posts

Shutdown Threatens Food Benefits: Family Physicians Leader Urges Resolution

Food insecurity could soon worsen for millions of families and result in devastating health outcomes.…

1 day ago

New Research Bolsters Model for Preventing Infant Mortality

Originally broadcast June 5, 2024. A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and…

1 week ago

Preventing Veteran Suicides: Strategies & Tactics

Veterans Day, which is less than a month away, is a time to honor and…

2 weeks ago

Government Shutdown Stalls Drug Discount Program 340B

Originally broadcast October 9, 2025 $44 billion in drugs that help Americans are purchased through…

3 weeks ago

How Govt. Shutdown Affects Telemedicine

Originally broadcast October 2, 2025 The federal government is shut down and the ripple effects…

4 weeks ago

The 16th Anniversary Show: Our First Guests Are Back!

Originally broadcast Tuesday, September 23, 2025 Happy anniversary to “Conversations on Health Care”! We posted…

1 month ago