Perspectives on the Health Effects of Hurricanes: A Review and Challenges

Abstract

Hurricanes are devastating natural disasters which dramatically modify the physical landscape and alter the socio-physical and biochemical characteristics of the environment, thus exposing the affected communities to new environmental stressors, which persist for weeks to months after the hurricane. This paper has three aims. First, it conceptualizes potential direct and indirect health effects of hurricanes and provides an overview of factors that exacerbate the health effects of hurricanes. Second, it summarizes the literature on the health impact of hurricanes. Finally, it examines the time lag between the hurricane (landfall) and the occurrence of diseases. Two major findings emerge from this paper. Hurricanes are shown to cause and exacerbate multiple diseases, and most adverse health impacts peak within six months following hurricanes. However, chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and mental disorders, continue to occur for years following the hurricane impact.

Analysis of Disaster-Related Deaths in the Great East Japan Earthquake: A Retrospective Observational Study Using Data from Ishinomaki City, Miyagi, Japan

“…In addition, the indirect health effects of disasters mainly appear among people who are socially vulnerable [ 5 ]. For example, a review of the health effects of hurricane disasters in the USA report long-term and significant indirect effects among vulnerable populations, such as the bedridden elderly, patients with chronic diseases, and homeless and racialized populations with low socioeconomic status (SES) [ 6 ]. However, although disaster medical responses based on objective data and information are necessary to reduce deaths associated with these indirect effects, medical data for large-scale natural disasters are insufficient [ 7 , 8 , 9 ].…”

Environmental influences on childhood asthma: Climate change

“…This respiratory disease, originally only present in subtropical areas, is expanding in Mediterranean regions of Europe and in Pacific Northwest regions of the USA, and it has been hypothesized that trees and livestock trading, flocks of migratory birds, anomalous atmospheric events (e.g. tsunamis) and human interactions have substantially contributed to the diffusion of this pathogen 74–76 . A similar case is Histoplasma capsulatum , an endemic fungus transmitted through inhalation in areas with bird or bat droppings in northern parts of the USA and known to cause severe pneumonia in immunocompromised hosts.…”

Adapting to Climate Change: Leveraging Systems-Focused Multidisciplinary Research to Promote Resilience

“…SRP researchers have developed and used cutting edge tools to detect contaminants in air, water, and soil, during and after a variety of disasters including Hurricane Florence in North and South Carolina [ 46 , 47 , 48 ], Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico [ 49 , 50 ], and wildfires [ 51 , 52 ]. They have also documented direct and indirect health effects following hurricanes [ 53 , 54 ]. The case study below focuses on Hurricane Harvey and provides an example of one of the many research activities in this area.…”