Between June 6 and June 10, 2001, Tropical Storm Allison moved slowly across the Texas Gulf coast dropping enormous amounts of rain and producing widespread flash flooding, particularly in the Houston/Harris County area.  Rainfall totals for this time period reached almost three feet in metropolitan Houston with most of the region receiving between 25 and 28 inches of rainfall.  More than 5,000 homes and businesses in the Houston/Harris County area were damaged with over 10,000 people displaced.  The Texas Medical Center was particularly hard hit with several hospitals suffering damage and/or temporary closure.  Governor Rick Perry declared a state of emergency in the Houston area and 28 southeastern Texas counties.  Mayor Lee Brown has estimated flood related damages in the City of Houston alone at one billion dollars.  Tropical Storm Allison is reported as the third wettest tropical cyclone in Texas history (1).

On June 10, 2001, in response to the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Allison, the Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) Bureau of Epidemiology began several surveillance activities in the Greater Houston area.  These surveillance activities were designed to determine health related needs and monitor infectious disease trends among flood victims.  These activities continued on a daily basis as needed through June 22, 2001.

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