Weathering the Storm: The Impact of Hurricanes on Physical and Mental Health

Abstract

The authors briefly review the deaths, injuries, and diseases attributed to hurricanes that made landfall in the United States prior to Hurricane Katrina; recent hurricane evacuation studies and their potential for reducing death, injury, and disease; information available to date about mortality, injury, and disease attributed to Hurricane Katrina; and psychological distress attributable to hurricanes. Drowning in salt water caused by storm surges has been reduced over the past thirty years, while deaths caused by fresh water (inland) flooding and wind have remained steady. Well-planned evacuations of coastal areas can reduce death and injury associated with hurricanes. Hurricane Katrina provides an example of what happens when evacuation is not handled appropriately. Preliminary data indicate that vulnerable elderly people were substantially overrepresented among the dead and that evacuees represent a population potentially predisposed to a high level of psychological distress, exacerbated by severe disaster exposure, lack of economic and social resources, and an inadequate government response.

Gender, place and mental health recovery in disasters: Addressing issues of equality and difference

“…As a result, significant stress can cause serious deterioration of physical and mental well-being' (Chae et al 2005 p.635). Bourque et al (2006) note that disruption of social networks can be a significant stressor after disasters. Gray (2008) contends that in the context of the 2007 Hull floods, 70% of those who moved home as a result of the flooding reported mental and/or physical health problems.…”

“…Similarly, given the literature review (Norris, 2002a(Norris, , 2002bChae et al 2005;Bourque et al 2006;Gray, 2008;Tapsell and Tunstall, 2008;Carroll et al 2009;Mason et al 2010, Henderson andElsass, 2015) which had found links between place and mental health, social constructs linked with place-based attachments and cohesion were assessed in the questionnaire at two levels: neighbourhoods and home. Since homes and neighbourhoods are considered as place based communities embedded in locality based social relations (Massey 1995;Blokland, 2001, Forrest andKearns 2001), sense of community was assessed through a series of questions on neighbourhood relations, attachments and dynamics within neighbourhoods, while home based attachments through questions on personal relations in homes and help/support from family and friends.…”

Building Capacity for Disaster Resiliency in Six Disadvantaged Communities

“…If the people in the poor wards of New Orleans had been consulted, they would have easily identified the significant weaknesses of the evacuation plan. They would have said that most of those without cars-the elderly, the disabled, the poor, and ethnic/racial minorities-would not be able to leave [5]. The Hurricane Katrina case is indicative of many other vulnerable communities across the nation as their disaster plans do not benefit from local knowledge, and are inconsistent with local conditions, concerns, and capacities of disadvantaged people [6].…”

Exploring and Exchanging (Dis)ability and (Dis)aster

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Exploring NarrativesAmong other individual and collective characteristics, disaster vulnerability is gendered (e.g., Enarson and Chakrabarti, 2009), racialized (e.g., Bullard and Wright, 2009), and age-related (e.g., Bourque et al, 2006;Peek and Stough, 2010;Norris et al, 2002), with each characteristic's level of influence being contextual (see also "layered vulnerabilities" from Phillips and Morrow, 2007). Little research, however, documents the experiences of people with disabilities (Stough and Mayhorn, 2013).

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