The Impact of Hurricane Irma on Our Community and the Collier Mosquito Control District's Mission

Abstract

The Collier Mosquito Control District, located in southwest Florida, is uniquely positioned in a subtropical environment between the Gulf of Mexico and Everglades National Park. The District's mission is focused on the control of disease vector and nuisance mosquitoes in Collier County, which is accomplished through integrated mosquito management. Hurricane Irma made landfall in the county on September 10, 2017, leaving in its wake tremendous property and infrastructure damage, and it also disrupted communications and airport operations. These factors greatly affected the District's operations and its ability to meet its mission. In addition, the lengthy loss of electrical power forced most residents outdoors, increasing their exposure to mosquitoes. From challenges in completing poststorm treatments to outdated policies that caught us off-guard, the event prompted a new hurricane policy and plan to ensure improved preparedness for the next natural disaster. The poststorm environment also provided a rich foundation for research into mosquito populations after tropical disturbances of this scale. Here we report the impact on the District's aerial mosquito control operations, changes to internal policies, and mosquito population abundance following Hurricane Irma.

Needs Assessment of Southeastern United States Vector Control Agencies: Capacity Improvement Is Greatly Needed to Prevent the Next Vector-Borne Disease Outbreak

“…Resources dedicated to addressing VBD have a history of being shunted during times of competing disasters [ 20 ]; however, some natural disasters may create favorable conditions for increased abundance of vectors [ 33 , 34 ], thus generating cyclical and often regional disparities in funded vector-control efforts. Funding increases post-Hurricanes Matthew, Irma and Harvey serve as examples [ 20 , 35 , 36 ]. The current needs assessment survey corresponded with the COVID-19 pandemic and shed light on vector control needs during a competing emerging public health crisis.…”

Short-term effects of tropical cyclones on the incidence of dengue: a time-series study in Guangzhou, China

“…For instance, tropical cyclones caused > 7000 houses to collapse and 350,000 people to urgently relocate in Guangdong Province in 2014 [ 40 ], which may have contributed to the anomalous dengue epidemic. Another study conducted in southwest Florida showed that the lengthy loss of electrical power after Hurricane Irma forced most residents outdoors, increasing their exposure to mosquitoes [ 41 ]. In addition, the heavy rainfall carried by tropical cyclones might provide a conducive environment for mosquito breeding.…”