A Hurricane’s Potential Death Toll Ticks Up Long After The Storm: Study
The study, published in the journal Nature, found that hurricanes and tropical storms can cause 7,000 to 11,000 excess deaths in the 15 years following the storm event. Also: News outlets report on hospital functioning during and in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
Axios:
Study Reveals Thousands Of Long-Term Deaths From Hurricanes
Hurricanes and tropical storms have long-term health consequences, generating 7,000 to 11,000 excess deaths over the 15 years following the event, a new study finds. Until recently, most of the attention has been focused on direct causes of death, such as drownings from floodwaters, rather than the complex cascade of events that can elevate mortality long after a storm fizzles. (Freedman, 10/2)
Updates on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene —
AP:
Hospitals Mostly Rebound After Helene Knocked Out Power
While hospitals and health care organizations in the Southeast largely stayed open and functioning during Hurricane Helene to provide essential care for their communities, they were not unscathed. Most hospitals used generators or backup systems to power their facilities through the hurricane. Many places halted elective procedures. Few closed completely. ... Providers, like their communities, are now in the recovery phase. Health care workers are still unaccounted for in western North Carolina, where at least 57 people died in and around Asheville. Officials also say mental health care facilities were destroyed in that area. (Bose, 10/2)
NBC News:
At Asheville's Mission Hospital, Workers Describe The Dire Conditions After The Storm
Facing what could be months without a steady water supply, the only solution for Mission Hospital was to dig a well. The Asheville, North Carolina, hospital was crippled after fast-moving Hurricane Helene dumped a record amount of rain in the region over the weekend. “The entire water infrastructure to the area was obliterated,” said Hannah Drummond, a nurse at the hospital and the chief nurse representative for National Nurses United, the union that represents nurses at Mission Hospital. (Edwards, Kopf, Fattah and Burke, 10/3)
Scientific American:
Helene Nearly Turned a Hospital into a Death Trap
A dramatic helicopter evacuation of a Tennessee hospital Friday, as raging floodwaters from Hurricane Helene surrounded the building, underscores what health experts say are rising dangers to patients and caregivers as climate-related disasters strike vulnerable facilities. Footage of Virginia State Police choppers rescuing 54 patients and staff from the Unicoi County Hospital roof went viral on social media in near-real time as the monster storm raced from the Gulf Coast to southern Tennessee with unusual speed, drenching the region with downpours and killing at least 100 people. (Wittenberg and E&E News, 10/2)
The Conversation:
Health Risks Are Rising In Mountain Areas Flooded By Hurricane Helene And Cut Off From Clean Water, Power And Hospitals
Floodwater with sewage or other harmful contaminants in it can lead to infectious diseases, particularly among people who are already ill, immunocompromised or have open wounds. Even after the water recedes, residents may underestimate the potential for contamination by unseen bacteria such as fecal coliform, heavy metals such as lead, and organic and inorganic contaminants such as pesticides. (Horney, 10/2)
