Skip to main content


U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government
              Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you knowDot gov**Official websites use .gov**
                 A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
                  HTTPS**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                 A **lock** (A locked padlock) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. 
  Menu Close
          HHS Search block
    Search
        








  
  
    

  
      

                                      About HHS
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Programs & Services
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Grants & Contracts
    
                        
                              
      
      
      Laws & Regulations Breadcrumb
    Home
                              About
                              News
                              HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Declares Public Health Emergencies For States Impacted By Tropical Storm Debby
 Navigate to:
  News
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Blog
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      HHS Live
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Podcasts
    
                                    
                                            
            
      
      
      
      Media Guidelines for HHS EmployeesText resize icon

                    




**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 7, 2024**

        **Contact: 
                                    HHS Press Office**
          202-690-6343media@hhs.gov

          HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra Declares Public Health Emergencies For States Impacted By Tropical Storm Debby
    
    

      *Federal health care personnel, resources at-the-ready to support affected states*U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra has declared Public Health Emergencies (PHEs) for the states of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina to address the health impacts of Hurricane Debby, now Tropical Storm Debby. The declarations follow President Biden’s emergency declarations for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina and give the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), health care providers, and suppliers greater flexibility in meeting emergency health needs of Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.“HHS stands ready to assist residents across the Southeast impacted by Tropical Storm Debby,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “With today’s declarations and waivers, HHS is helping ensure that residents in the Southeast have continuous access to the care they need during and after this storm.”To further assist South Carolina hospitals and other health care facilities in addressing the potential health impacts of the storm, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has approximately 50 medical providers and disaster management professionals from the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS) staged in the state for rapid response in affected areas.These personnel include regional emergency coordinators who integrate with state health authorities and emergency response officials and with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to anticipate and help the state meet public health and medical needs in the wake of the storm. The deployed personnel also include medical providers and logistics experts who are equipped with medical supplies and equipment.NDMS personnel come from around the country to provide rapid assistance with health care facility assessments, care for patients in local communities when health care facilities are overwhelmed, evacuate patients to non-affected areas, and provide other support as requested. In coordinating the federal public health and medical response, ASPR is prepared to deploy additional personnel from NDMS and officers from the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps if needed.“The dangerous storm surge, strong winds, and rain that Tropical Storm Debby is bringing to the southeast U.S. can have serious impacts on health care delivery,” said Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell. “ASPR’s highly trained personnel are prepared to help ease the burden on local health systems during this difficult time.”HHS also has made information available from the HHS emPOWER program, a partnership between ASPR and CMS, to support public health emergency planning and response activities. The program provides valuable information on the number of Medicare beneficiaries who rely on electricity-dependent durable medical equipment and certain health care services, such as dialysis, oxygen tanks, or home health care, to help anticipate, plan for, and respond to the needs of at-risk residents in areas that impacted by the storm.The Disaster Distress Helpline is available to provide disaster crisis counseling. Managed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this toll-free, multilingual, crisis support service is available 24/7 to all residents in the U.S. and its territories who are experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. To connect with a trained counselor, call or text 1-800-985-5990. Spanish speakers can press “2” for bilingual support. Callers also can connect with counselors in more than 100 other languages via third-party interpretation services by indicating their preferred language to the responding counselor.To support state and local health departments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is providing public health information in English and Spanish on topics such as flooding, mold, and worker safety.HHS has also waived sanctions and penalties for violations of certain provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy Rule against hospitals in the emergency areas. The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued a bulletin explaining how this limited waiver applies and its duration.In declaring the public health emergency and authorizing flexibilities for CMS providers, suppliers, and beneficiaries, Secretary Becerra acted within his authority under the Public Health Service Act and Social Security Act. These actions and flexibilities are retroactive to August 1, 2024, for Florida and August 4, 2024, for Georgia and South Carolina.
  

    ###
    Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other news materials are available at https://www.hhs.gov/news.Like HHS on Facebook, follow HHS on Twitter @HHSgov, and sign up for HHS Email Updates.Last revised: August 8, 2024

  
  
  







  Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases

Sign Up







  Subscribe to RSS
    

      Receive latest updates







  Related News Releases
    

      Biden-Harris Administration Unveils National Heat Strategy to Protect Community Health from Extreme Heat
  

HHS Office for Civil Rights Issues Guidance to the Nation’s Hospital and Long-Term Care Facility Administrators Clarifying Their Obligations to Ensure Religious Non-Discrimination in Patient Visitation
  

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Actions to Bolster Medical Supply Chain







  Related Blog Posts
    

      Climate-Related Hazards and the Importance of Resiliency

                    
  


Media Inquiries

For general media inquiries, please contact media@hhs.gov.







  Content created by Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA) Content last reviewed August 8, 2024 Back to top
    Contact HHS
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Careers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      HHS FAQs
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Nondiscrimination NoticeHHS Archive
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Accessibility Statement
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Privacy Policy
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Viewers & PlayersBudget/Performance
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Inspector General
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Web Site Disclaimers
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      EEO/No Fear ActFOIA
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      The White House
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      USA.gov
    
                        
                                            
      
      
      Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
        Sign Up for Email Updates

Receive the latest updates from the Secretary, Blogs, and News Releases.

Sign Up
  HHS Headquarters
          200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
                  Washington, D.C. 20201
                  Toll Free Call Center: 1-877-696-6775​ Disclaimer Policy: Links with this icon () mean that you are leaving the HHS website. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cannot guarantee the accuracy of a non-federal website.
                  Linking to a non-federal website does not mean that HHS or its employees endorse the sponsors, information, or products presented on the website. HHS links outside of itself to provide you with further information.
                  You will be bound by the destination website's privacy policy and/or terms of service when you follow the link.
                  HHS is not responsible for Section 508 compliance (accessibility) on private websites. For more information on HHS's web notification policies, see Website Disclaimers.
 Continue
                  Go back