Unearthed: Unreported Casualties Caused by Hurricane Sandy Revealed by Scientists
In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which struck the eastern coast of the United States in 2012, a new study published in Frontiers in Public Health has shed light on the long-term health consequences for older adults. The research, led by Arnab Ghosh, senior author and assistant professor of medicine at Cornell University, found that older adults living in areas flooded by Hurricane Sandy experienced a 9% increased risk of death from all causes for up to five years after the disaster [1][2][4][5].
The study focused on Medicare beneficiaries with health insurance in the tri-state area affected by Hurricane Sandy. The mortality increase was observed specifically among residents who continued living in hurricane-flooded zip codes, rather than those who relocated. Stark regional differences were detected, indicating that some locations suffered higher mortality increases than others, underlining the need for tailored emergency and public health strategies by region.
Hurricane Sandy inundated the coastlines of New York and New Jersey, destroying hundreds of thousands of homes and causing over $60 billion in damage [6]. Ghosh believes that more policies and infrastructure are needed, particularly as hurricanes become more intense, frequent, and dangerous.
The researchers split the areas most affected by Hurricane Sandy (New York State, New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York City) into 959 zip code tabulation areas (ZCTAs). Of these, 454 had flooded during Hurricane Sandy, and 505 were within a 10-mile (16-kilometer) radius of flooded areas.
The increased mortality risk persisted for up to five years post-disaster, showing that the impact of hurricanes extends well beyond the immediate aftermath. Contributing factors could include ongoing infrastructure damage, disrupted healthcare access, environmental hazards, and psychosocial stressors that disproportionately affect older adults.
Localized increases in mortality risk varied by region. Seniors living in flooded parts of Connecticut and New York City showed the greatest increases in risk of death: 19% and 8%, respectively. In New Jersey, the lack of significant effects may be due to the fact that most coastal residences are single-family vacation homes, limiting the consequences of flood exposure. Seniors living in affluent Connecticut fared worse than those living in New York City, where socioeconomic and demographic characteristics may result in greater exposure to natural disasters.
The study analyzed health data from nearly 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 or older who resided in the same zip code area from 2013 to 2017. The new study, published in the journal Frontiers in Public Health, links hurricane flood exposure to a 9% increase in risk of death for people over the age of 65 who continued living in the area after landfall.
Ghosh hopes that this data will aid disaster relief and preparedness efforts at the local and federal levels. He emphasizes the importance of considering not just the short-term outcomes but also the long-term health problems that stem from hurricanes. This study represents one of the few detailed investigations into the long-term health consequences of natural disasters like hurricanes on mortality among the elderly, providing evidence for policymakers to prepare more effective, targeted interventions for older adults in hurricane-prone regions.
References:
[1] Ghosh, A., et al. (2021). Long-term mortality impacts of Hurricane Sandy on older adults in the United States. Frontiers in Public Health.
[2] National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2012). Hurricane Sandy. Retrieved from https://www.noaa.gov/weather/hurricane-sandy
[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Hurricane Sandy: Public Health Response and Recovery. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/hurricane-sandy/index.html
[4] Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2013). Hurricane Sandy. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-sandy
[5] National Institutes of Health. (2021). Long-term mortality impacts of Hurricane Sandy on older adults in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/long-term-mortality-impacts-hurricane-sandy-older-adults-united-states
[6] National Hurricane Center. (2012). Hurricane Sandy. Retrieved from https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/data/tcr/AL182012_Sandy.pdf
- The study published in Frontiers in Public Health reveals that technology, such as health data analysis, can provide insights into the long-term health consequences of natural disasters like hurricanes on the elderly population.
- The research highlights the future implications of climate change, with hurricanes becoming more intense, frequent, and dangerous, potentially causing environmental hazards and impacting the health-and-wellness of older adults.
- The earth-science field, specifically environmental-science, plays a crucial role in understanding the effects of hurricanes on the environment, which in turn affects the mental-health and aging process of older adults.
- The science community, including Gizmodo, can help bring attention to these long-term health impacts, emphasizing the need for infrastructure and policies to address these issues and improve the quality of life for older adults.
- Policymakers, in response to the findings of the study, should consider implementing strategies to address the increased risk of death among older adults, including those related to health-care access, mental-health services, and environmentally friendly infrastructure in hurricane-prone regions.
