Long-Term Health Effects of Hurricanes in U.S. Vastly Underestimated

Homes affected by Hurricane Helen in the United States, 2024. X/ @TRTWorldNow

October 3, 2024 Hour: 7:23 am

Black people experience about 3.2 times greater excess mortality risk compared to white populations exposed to the same storms.

On Wednesday, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University published a report showing that hurricanes and tropical storms in the United States cause significantly more deaths than previously thought, with impacts lasting up to 15 years after each storm.

The study, published in the journal Nature, analyzed mortality data for all 501 tropical cyclones that affected the contiguous United States between 1930 and 2015. The researchers found that the average storm indirectly leads to 7,000 to 11,000 excess deaths over 15 years, exceeding the average of 24 immediate deaths typically reported in official statistics.

“We estimate that the tropical cyclone climate of the contiguous U.S. imposes an undocumented mortality burden equal to roughly 3.2 to 5.1 percent of all deaths,” said lead author Rachel Young.

The study used wind speed data to measure storm intensity and examined monthly state-level mortality rates for up to 20 years following each cyclone. Key findings include that infants under one-year-old face the highest mortality risk from cyclones relative to baseline death rates.

One thing that isn't talked about enough is how not everyone can afford hurricane evacuation. It can cost thousands of dollars to get out of a storm's path. pic.twitter.com/bNDpVq0x1X
— More Perfect Union (@MorePerfectUS) October 2, 2024

Black populations experience about 3.2 times greater excess mortality risk compared to white populations exposed to the same storms. States less frequently hit by cyclones suffer 2.8 times more deaths from physically similar storms compared to high-risk states. Notably, official causes of cyclone-related excess deaths are rarely recorded as storm-related.

“Understanding why tropical cyclones cause this excess mortality is likely to yield substantial health benefits,” co-author Solomon Hsiang said, adding that possible explanations of this excess mortality include economic disruption, changes in social support networks, government budget adjustments, environmental changes, and long-term stress.

They noted that the findings indicate that the critical healthcare needs of cyclone-affected populations are not being fully addressed, with many affected individuals likely unaware that a storm has affected their health. The study called for further research to identify the underlying mechanisms and develop targeted interventions to mitigate this previously unrecognized public health burden.