1. 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
Bryon Backenson
New York State Department of Health

2. Planning for the Anticipated but Unknown
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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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?
We wanted to avoid duplication of existing plans, no utility in recreating the wheel

6. How Do We Plan for Extremes?
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
A key determination is that most response action would revolve around winter storms that do not have bigger response plans (Coastal storm plan vs no Nor’easter Plans)
Much of the Department’s response relies on the needs of Local Jurisdictions
The identification of the different extreme weather events serves as “connect the dots” - Event, what is a result, what are the secondary events, what are the recovery concerns, and what are the potential department actions based on the local needs OR a State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation.

7. Cover page and table of contents

8. 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
During the course of defining the different weather events the group found that there are specific warnings developed specifically for New York State.

9. 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
Primary Response actions are those responsibilities that are already defined in Public Health Law, in Executive Laws (e.g. Article 2B), or defined in existing plans.
In order to tease out additional roles and response actions, the group used a grid of the various weather related circumstances - and then the group worked to define what the event’s consequences were and then what were the initial primary recovery concerns. As part of this the group also established secondary events that were consequences of the primary weather event. E.g. A Hurricane causes mass destruction (as we saw in Hurricane Sandy), High Winds and Flooding are primary components of a Hurricane, a power outage would be a secondary consequence.
One note: a secondary consequence is not to say lesser or less severe - rather just an additional consequence that comes with additional response actions and recovery concerns.

10. Plan Activation & Moving Forward
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
One primary support role that the Department plays in all severe weather is that of public messaging and providing information and materials to local jurisdictions.
Additional roles such as disease surveillance and food and water protection are also roles that are built into public health laws and regulatory actions.

11. What About More Insidious Impacts from Climate Change?
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
One primary support role that the Department plays in all severe weather is that of public messaging and providing information and materials to local jurisdictions.
Additional roles such as disease surveillance and food and water protection are also roles that are built into public health laws and regulatory actions.

12. 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 Chang
NYS Office of Heath Emergency Preparedness