International News | EQUINE
Floodwaters reached hundreds of thousands of
homes, displacing 30,000 people and prompting more
than 17,000 rescues. Early state and federal disaster
declarations in the anticipated impact zone were a
godsend, making resources available for evacuation
and response activities even as the storm approached.
Ultimately, 41 counties were included in disaster
declarations due to storm damage.
These 41 counties are home to 1.6 million cattle and
88,000 horses, donkeys, and mules. While there have
been major floods in portions of this area in recent
years, nothing could prepare livestock owners and
emergency responders for a 1,000-year event such as
this. Livestock owners moved their animals to what
should have been safe havens, only to have them
threatened again as floodwaters continued to rise over
the following days.
Emergency situations forced some livestock owners
to make difficult choices, but there is at least one
shining example of how pre-planning paid dividends.
Parson’s Mounted Calvary Corps of Cadets at Texas
A&M University and the Houston Police Department
Mounted Unit exercised a standing arrangement where
the Houston Police train Calvary Corps horses in crowd
control techniques and in exchange the Corps shelters
police horses in an evacuation event such as Hurricane
Harvey.
The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) is the
primary coordinating agency for animal response
operations related to non-disease animal related
incidents and the Emergency Support Function (ESF)-
11 animal-related actions. TAHC coordinated the
efforts of 36 different agencies and organizations during
Hurricane Harvey. More than 700 calls were received on
the Harvey Hotline, and staff worked tirelessly to match
resources with needs. Lists of pre-arranged livestock
evacuation facilities were provided to callers through
information centers. With the governor’s approval,
TAHC waived requirements for a current negative EIA
test on evacuated horses. National Veterinary Services
Laboratory quickly developed guidelines allowing
approved EIA laboratories to conduct tests at shelters
to mitigate disease transmission risk.
The most common maladies encountered were lower
extremity skin injuries due to horses standing in water
for extended periods and colic most likely due to
changes in diet. The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency
Team (VET) deployed in five locations to triage, treat,
and send animals to shelters or referral clinics still in
operation. To manage information and utilize services
of veterinarians and technicians volunteering from
Texas and across the United States, a database was
created and shared with responding entities. The
Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners issued
temporary licenses to veterinarians assisting from other
states. Managing offers from volunteers and donations
were challenges in themselves.
As conditions allowed, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
agents and other responders established thirteen
livestock supply points in stricken areas, distributing
generously donated livestock feed and supplies. USDA
Wildlife Services aircraft pilots, along with volunteers in
airboats, gathered coordinates on marooned livestock.
National Guard helicopters, made available after
human rescue missions were completed, dropped a
total of 117 tons of hay to stranded livestock. More hay
was delivered by airboats and high profile vehicles.
The real story of Hurricane Harvey is how owners
took responsibility for their own livestock and, when
conditions became extreme, how neighbors and
strangers alike pulled together to help anyone in need.
There were many, many more significant response
efforts than are mentioned here. TAHC is honored to
have been a part of this outstanding combined effort in
• Volume 20 Issue 2 | July 2018 •
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