Hurricane Harvey (HH) devastated Houston, Texas in August 2017. During October and November 2017, English speaking caregivers of hospitalized pediatric patients were surveyed on sociodemographic characteristics and how they were impacted by HH. One hundred caregivers were surveyed with 27% ‘severely impacted’ by HH. Approximately 75% of those severely impacted had a reported annual income ≤$50,000. Subjects in this lower income group were more likely to report increased worry about food for the household following HH and someone in the family losing their job due to HH. Those expressing that they were severely impacted by HH were more likely to report various disruptions in health maintenance and health impacts from the natural disaster including worse health impact on family members, worse household stress, and worse mental health of the caregiver. The results of this pilot study highlight disparities in social determinants of health and the needs of low income and severely impacted children and families following a natural disaster. With local, state, and national policies providing sustained critical inputs, communities and health systems need to be prepared to recognize and address these needs in vulnerable populations over the months and years after a natural disaster
