Texas Medical Center struck by natural disaster

In early June this year, tropical storm Allison swept through the southern United States, killing 20 people and causing billions of dollars worth of damage. Also badly hit was the Texas Medical Center in Houston, the world's largest medical research complex, consisting of more than 40 member institutions, including two medical schools and 13 hospitals. Extensive flooding caused by the storm destroyed years of work, causing millions of dollars of damage to specialized equipment and drowning over 30 000 laboratory animals. These included many irreplaceable transgenic mouse colonies and also larger animals housed at the medical center. The Texas Medical Center lies in a region that is extremely prone to flooding during the hurricane season; however, tropical storm Allison struck the region twice, dropping volumes of rain that could be expected to occur only once a century. Scientists at the Texas Medical Center described the losses as ‘incalculable’ and ‘devastating’. The NIH and local officials have pledged to help in the recovery effort according to reports in the Houston Chronicle. S.L.