09/10/2026
For a little over two weeks in September 2005, Harris Health showed the world how a public healthcare system can respond to disasters (natural or man-made). Such was the case after the Aug. 29 landfall of Hurricane Katrina over Louisiana and Mississippi.
Within hours of being notified that evacuees from the Superdome in New Orleans would be transported to the Houston Astrodome, Harris Health staff was hard at work constructing a healthcare facility from scratch inside Reliant Astrodome Arena. Originally occupying 25,000 square feet, the clinic eventually grew to 100,000 square feet within 72 hours of operation.
Harris Health operated the Astrodome Clinic from Sept. 1-15 and cared for 25,000 evacuees from Louisiana.