Spring Break
Alumnus joins 34 sanitation workers in Mississippi
Undergerecht one of first federal respondents in area devastated by Hurricane Katrina
Emily Rae Hartwig
Issue date: 10/10/05 Section: Campus News
Raw sewage pipes thrust above water level were just one of the sights sanitation workers faced after hurricanes ripped across the coastline earlier this month, said UW-Eau Claire alumnus Lt. Cmdr. Craig R. Undergerecht.
Environmental public health assistance in areas devastated by hurricanes is crucial for the everyday health of residents, he said. Undergerecht put his education and experience to good use after Hurricane Katrina left its mark.
Undergerecht, a U.S. Environmental Health Officer stationed in New York, was among the first federal respondents after the hurricane.
He, along with 34 other government workers, responded to a call from an overwhelmed Health Department in Mississippi by flying down to offer assistance.
His preparation for this situation, however, can be attributed to Eau Claire's Environmental Public Health Programs, which provide its graduates with the ability to control environmental hazards and achieve comfort and safety in devastated areas.
Undergerecht described the shock of seeing three-story buildings underwater and how his team began to perform needed environmental health services for stricken residents.
Besides assessing hospitals, daycare centers, distribution centers and shelters for diseases and food safety, Undergerecht said he and his coworkers spent time evaluating and testing drinking water and disinfecting wells.
"The pictures don't do it justice," he said, regarding the extent of the devastation.
Undergerecht said his education has given him a good, basic background to be able to do the work that he does.
He has had 12 years of public health experience, including five years in the Coast Guard, but this was his first time responding to a disaster scene,
Environmental public health assistance in areas devastated by hurricanes is crucial for the everyday health of residents, he said. Undergerecht put his education and experience to good use after Hurricane Katrina left its mark.
| "The pictures don't do it justice." -Lt. Craig R. Undergerecht UW-Eau Claire alumnus, on hurricane devastation he witnessed firsthand |
Undergerecht, a U.S. Environmental Health Officer stationed in New York, was among the first federal respondents after the hurricane.
He, along with 34 other government workers, responded to a call from an overwhelmed Health Department in Mississippi by flying down to offer assistance.
His preparation for this situation, however, can be attributed to Eau Claire's Environmental Public Health Programs, which provide its graduates with the ability to control environmental hazards and achieve comfort and safety in devastated areas.
Undergerecht described the shock of seeing three-story buildings underwater and how his team began to perform needed environmental health services for stricken residents.
Besides assessing hospitals, daycare centers, distribution centers and shelters for diseases and food safety, Undergerecht said he and his coworkers spent time evaluating and testing drinking water and disinfecting wells.
"The pictures don't do it justice," he said, regarding the extent of the devastation.
Undergerecht said his education has given him a good, basic background to be able to do the work that he does.
He has had 12 years of public health experience, including five years in the Coast Guard, but this was his first time responding to a disaster scene,