Where are People Dying in Disasters, and Where is it Being Studied? A Mapping Review of Scientific Articles on Tropical Cyclone Mortality in English and Chinese

Abstract

Background: Tropical cyclones are a recurrent, lethal hazard. Climate change, demographic, and development trends contribute to increasing hazards and vulnerability. This mapping review of articles on tropical cyclone mortality assesses geographic publication patterns, research gaps, and priorities for investigation to inform evidence-based risk reduction. Methods: A mapping review of published scientific articles on tropical cyclone-related mortality indexed in PubMed and EMBASE (English) and SINOMED and CNKI (Chinese), focusing on research approach, location, and storm information, was conducted. Results were compared with data on historical tropical cyclone disasters. Findings: A total of 150 articles were included, 116 in English and 34 in Chinese. Nine cyclones accounted for 61% of specific event analyses. The United States (US) reported 0.76% of fatalities but was studied in 51% of articles, 96% in English and four percent in Chinese. Asian nations reported 90.4% of fatalities but were studied in 39% of articles, 50% in English and 50% in Chinese. Within the US, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania experienced 4.59% of US tropical cyclones but were studied in 24% of US articles. Of the 12 articles where data were collected beyond six months from impact, 11 focused on storms in the US. Climate change was mentioned in eight percent of article abstracts. Interpretation: Regions that have historically experienced high mortality from tropical cyclones have not been studied as extensively as some regions with lower mortality impacts. Long-term mortality and the implications of climate change have not been extensively studied nor discussed in most settings. Research in highly impacted settings should be prioritized.

Tropical cyclone-specific mortality risks and the periods of concern: A multicountry time-series study

“…Emerging evidence suggests an increased risk of adverse health outcomes, mostly all-cause hospitalizations or mortality, associated with TC exposure [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Except for the immediate physical impacts such as drowning and injuries, TCs also have been found to introduce persisting or delayed elevated mortality and morbidity risks, partially attributable to medical support disruptions, environmental contamination, and psychosocial stress [17].…”

“…These indirect and longer-term effects of TC could increase the cardiovascular and respiratory mortality and morbidity, which consist of a major and important part of the disease burden indirectly attributable to TCs. However, previous studies on TC epidemiology largely focused on a single TC event (mostly Hurricane Katrina, Sandy) restricted to a single year or area (mostly in the United States of America [USA]) [13] and focused on all-cause mortality. For example, 8 studies assessed the excess mortality in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25], but varied greatly in the estimated number of excess mortality (point estimates of all-cause excess mortality ranged from 514 to 4,645) due to the different utilized designs (e.g., various timeframes) and tools (e.g., survey versus mortality registration).…”