The CDC's disease prevention efforts include educating the public on how to recognize and avoid contracting common infectious diseases, such as the flu and strep throat.
DISASTERS Hurricane Katrina approaches landfall on the Gulf coast. Very little on land or water was spared by the storm when it struck in 2005. (Image from NOAA) Hurricane Katrina caused devastating personal, social, economic, and cultural losses. This image shows homes destroyed by the storm in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. (Image from
COASTAL HAZARDS 3 By being close to the ocean, people who live and work in coastal areas face unique risks of natural disasters. And as more people move to the coast, natural disasters have the potential to cause ever more damage. Coastal communities are vulnerable to such catastrophic events as hurricanes, tropical storms, and tsunamis, and even the flooding and high winds associated with smaller, less intense storms can present major dangers to those living along the coast.