Helene may cause thousands of deaths over the decades: Study

Oct 3

Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), Shea Taylor (Producer), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor), Jonah Applegarth (Graphics Operator)

As the death toll from Hurricane Helene continues to climb, a new study adds an unsettling perspective about the impacts of the storm, which are likely to last well beyond what some may think. The study, published Wednesday, Oct. 2, said hurricanes and tropical storms are much deadlier than their associated death tolls suggest.

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That’s because of the indirect causes these storms can set into motion that aren’t realized until years after the event. Researchers with the University of California Berkeley found an average tropical cyclone in the U.S. indirectly causes up to 11,000 more deaths than reported in the storm’s final toll.

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They said since 1930, tropical storms have contributed to as many as 5.2 million deaths in the U.S. Researchers also estimate 1 in 4 infant deaths are somehow related to tropical cyclones, as are 15% of deaths among people aged 1 to 44 years old.

They say tropical cyclones create a broader health issue than previously thought because they often stir up other threats to certain populations – like babies and the immunocompromised.

The study found these excess deaths were mostly due to causes like diabetes, suicide, sudden infant death syndrome or another cause that was not recorded. However, they found cardiovascular disease was the next most common cause linked to the lasting impacts of storms, followed by cancer.

This is the first time researchers have looked at storm-related deaths over such a long period of time. Their study accounted for 501 events from 1930 to 2015. Researchers say over that 85-year span, tropical storms killed more people than car crashes and infectious diseases.

The study’s authors say the numbers were so staggering, they spent years making sure their findings were correct.

The study also found Black people were three times more likely to die after a hurricane than white people. Researchers said their findings validate concerns many Black Americans have been voicing for decades about unequal treatment they face and the circumstances they experience after natural disasters.

Tags: Berkeley, California, Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Death, Extreme weather, Health, Health Care, hurricane, Hurricane season, Mental health, natural disaster, Severe Weather, Study, Suicide, suicide prevention, Tropical storm

Craig Nigrelli

AS THE DEATH TOLL FROM HURRICANE HELENE CONTINUES TO CLIMB… A NEW STUDY ADDS AN UNSETTLING PERSPECTIVE ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THE STORM – THAT ARE LIKELY TO LAST WELL BEYOND WHAT YOU MAY THINK.

THE STUDY – PUBLISHED WEDNESDAY – SAYS HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS ARE MUCH DEADLIER THAN THEIR ASSOCIATED DEATH TOLLS SUGGEST.

THAT’S BECAUSE OF THE INDIRECT CAUSES THESE STORMS CAN SET INTO MOTION THAT AREN’T REALIZED UNTIL YEARS AFTER THE EVENT.

RESEARCHERS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY FOUND AN AVERAGE TROPICAL CYCLONE IN THE U-S **INDIRECTLY** CAUSES UP TO 11-THOUSAND MORE DEATHS THAN REPORTED IN THE STORM’S FINAL TOLL.

THEY SAY SINCE 19-30 – TROPICAL STORMS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO AS MANY AS 5 POINT 2 MILLION DEATHS IN THE U-S.

RESEARCHERS ESTIMATE 1 IN 4 INFANT DEATHS ARE SOMEHOW RELATED TO TROPICAL CYCLONES…

AND 15 PERCENT OF DEATHS AMONG PEOPLE AGED 1 TO 44 YEARS OLD ARE.

THEY SAY TROPICAL CYCLONES CREATE A BROADER HEALTH ISSUE THAN PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT… BECAUSE THEY OFTEN STIR UP OTHER THREATS TO CERTAIN POPULATIONS – LIKE BABIES AND THE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.

THE STUDY FOUND THESE EXCESS DEATHS WERE MOSTLY DUE TO CAUSES LIKE DIABETES, SUICIDE, SUDDEN INFANT DEATH SYNDROME OR ANOTHER CAUSE THAT WAS NOT RECORDED.

HOWEVER, THEY FOUND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE WAS THE NEXT MOST COMMON CAUSE LINKED TO THE LASTING IMPACTS OF STORMS… FOLLOWED BY CANCER.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME RESEARCHERS HAVE LOOKED AT STORM-RELATED DEATHS OVER SUCH A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.

THEIR STUDY ACCOUNTED FOR MORE THAN 500 EVENTS FROM 19-30 TO 20-15.

RESEARCHERS SAY OVER THAT 85-YEAR SPAN… TROPICAL STORMS KILLED MORE PEOPLE THAN CAR CRASHES AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES.

THE STUDY’S AUTHORS SAY THE NUMBERS WERE SO STAGGERING – THEY SPENT YEARS MAKING SURE THEIR FINDINGS WERE CORRECT.

THE STUDY ALSO FOUND BLACK PEOPLE WERE THREE TIMES AS LIKELY TO DIE AFTER A HURRICANE THAN WHITE PEOPLE.

RESEARCHERS SAY THEIR FINDINGS VALIDATE CONCERNS MANY BLACK AMERICANS HAVE BEEN VOICING FOR DECADES ABOUT UNEQUAL TREATMENT THEY FACE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES THEY EXPERIENCE AFTER NATURAL DISASTERS.