Assessment of the Public Health Risks and Impact of a Tornado in Funing, China, 23 June 2016: A Retrospective Analysis

Abstract

(1) Background: Tornadoes are one of the deadliest disasters but their health impacts in China are poorly investigated. This study aimed to assess the public health risks and impact of an EF-4 tornado outbreak in Funing, China; (2) Methods: A retrospective analysis on the characteristics of tornado-related deaths and injuries was conducted based on the database from the Funing’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Funing People’s Hospital. A change-point time-series analysis of weekly incidence for the period January 2010 to September 2016 was used to identify sensitive infectious diseases to the tornado; (3) Results: The 75 to 84 years old group was at the highest risk of both death (RR = 82.16; 95% CIs = 19.66, 343.33) and injury (RR = 31.80; 95% CI = 17.26, 58.61), and females were at 53% higher risk of death than males (RR = 1.53; 95% CIs = 1.02, 2.29). Of the 337 injuries, 274 injuries (81%) were minor. Most deaths occurred indoors (87%) and the head (74%) was the most frequent site of trauma during the tornado. Five diseases showed downward change-points; (4) Conclusions: The experience of the Funing tornado underscores the relative danger of being indoors during a tornado and is successful in avoiding epidemics post-tornado. Current international safety guidelines need modification when generalized to China.

The potential of strategic environmental assessment to reduce disaster risks through climate change adaptation in the coastal zone of Bangladesh

“…Major destructive cyclones have caused extensive damage and massive deaths of people and livestock in coastal areas. According to Wang et al (2016), Agee et al (2016) and Elsner et al (2015), a significantly warmer climate may lead to more frequent extreme storms, which may increase the public health burden. The floods of 1988, 1998 and 2004 were especially catastrophic, resulting in large-scale damage and loss of life (Aminuzzaman, 2014).…”

Pattern and spectrum of tornado injury and its geographical information system distribution in Yancheng, China: a cross-sectional study

“… 4 Although the incidence of tornadoes in China cannot be compared with that in the USA, the former recorded a total of 2210 tornadoes responsible for killing 2000 people and injuring 30 000 during a 30-year period from 1984 to 2013. 5 In China, tornadoes occur primarily in developed coastal provinces with higher population densities and degrees of economic development, which leads to a substantial risk for serious damage and losses of life. 6…”

Injury Patterns and Medical Evacuation of Patients in Chifeng Tornado in China, August 11, 2017

“…3 While the incidence of tornadoes in China cannot be compared with that in the United States, the damage caused by tornadoes in China cannot be ignored. The previous study recorded a total of 2210 tornadoes killing 2000 people and injuring 30,000 during a 30-year period from 1984 to 2013, 4 and the tornado that occurred in Yancheng (Jiangsu Province) in 2016 4,5 led to tremendous property damage and loss of life.…”

“…The first study to document the public health risks and impact of tornadoes in China was conducted by Wang et al in 2017, who studied and reported about the tornado that struck Yancheng. 4 The first study on the pattern and spectrum of tornado injury was the investigation on the Yancheng tornado by Deng et al, which occurred in China in 2018. 6 Previous investigations related to tornado disasters were mostly conducted in the United States.…”