On October 20, 2005, the Roundtable on Environmental Health Sciences, Research, and Medicine held a workshop entitled, Environmental Public Health Impacts of Disasters: Hurricane Katrina. The workshop brought together members of the scientific community to:

• highlight the status of the recovery effort,
• consider the ongoing challenges in the midst of a disaster,
• look at the scientific issues involved, and;
• be able to reassure the public with the best scientific information.

The workshop provided an opportunity to explore some of the most pressing research and preparedness needs related to the health risks of Hurricane Katrina and also a chance to discuss the larger issues for scientific collaboration during a disaster of this magnitude.