So far, Hurricane Helen has killed at least 162 people across the Southeast. Unfortunately, that may just be the beginning of the storm’s death and suffering.
A new study released Wednesday says hurricanes and tropical cyclones are far more deadly than initial death tolls suggest.
According to the study, the average tropical cyclone in the United States indirectly causes 7,000 to 11,000 excess deaths, far exceeding the dozens or hundreds of deaths officially caused by storms. Scientists estimate that since 1930, tropical storms have caused a total of 3.6 million to 5.2 million deaths in the United States.
Research shows that these additional deaths are caused by indirect causes in the years following the event.
Overall, tropical cyclone fatalities may be a broader public health problem than previously thought, as disasters often trigger a domino effect of other threats to affected populations.
Incredibly, researchers estimate that 25% of infant deaths and 15% of deaths between ages 1 and 44 in the United States are associated with tropical cyclones.
How do tropical cyclones cause excess mortality?
Researchers found that these excess deaths were due to diabetes, suicide, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or other unrecorded causes. The next most common cause was cardiovascular disease, followed by cancer.
Official government statistics record only the number of people killed in these storms. Research shows that these direct deaths, which official estimates average at 24 people per storm, typically occur from drowning or other types of trauma.
“People are dying faster than they would have if the storm hadn’t hit the area,” said study lead author Solomon Siang, a professor of environmental and social sciences at Stanford University.
Looking at Helen’s death and destruction, Sian told the Associated Press, “Looking at what’s happening here, this is not just what’s going to happen in the next few weeks, but over the next 10 years. “It makes me think that the difficulties will continue.”
How was the research conducted?
The study was based on data from 501 tropical cyclones that hit the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from 1930 to 2015, and a statistical analysis of mortality rates for different populations within each state immediately before and after each cyclone. are.
“With each storm, hurricane-affected states see a spike in deaths that have not previously been documented or shown to be linked to the hurricane in any way,” Xiang said in AP. told the news agency.
Researchers also found that areas with historically fewer hurricanes tended to see longer, slower spikes in cyclone-related deaths, according to a Stanford University publication.
“This long-term effect on mortality had never been documented before, so no one in the field knew we needed to adapt to this, and no one in the medical community was planning for a response. ,” said study lead author and postdoctoral fellow Rachel Young. University of California, Berkeley.
The burden will be greater for some groups.
The study found that while more than 3 in 100 deaths nationwide are related to tropical cyclones, the burden is much higher for certain groups, with Black people three times more likely to die after a hurricane than white people. It turned out to be high.
The findings underscore concerns that many Black communities have long raised about the unequal treatment and experiences they face after natural disasters, the study said.
The study was published Wednesday in the British peer-reviewed journal Nature.