Top Posts
Death toll from Mokwa flood rises to 153
Scientists say nearly 40% of the world’s glaciers...
Nigerian government seeks alignment of NDC climate action...
German court dismisses climate case against RWE
WHO Climate Change action plan approved
Report: World likely to breach 1.5°C limit in...
At Bonn climate talks, Brazil demands early deals...
Researchers warn Africa could face 113 million climate...
LAPO MfB launches tree-planting initiative to fight climate...
Stiell says new NDCs are about growth, antidote...
EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World
World

Study shows deadlier Atlantic storms excessively killing US people of color

by admineconai August 16, 2023
written by admineconai August 16, 2023
552

A landmark new study has found that Atlantic storms have become deadlier as the planet warms – and are disproportionately killing people of color in the US.

According to reports, about 20,000 excess deaths – the numbers of observed rather than expected deaths – occurred in the immediate aftermath of 179 named storms and hurricanes which struck the US mainland between 1988 and 2019. This is even as more than two thirds of the total excess death toll – and 17 of the 20 deadliest storms – have occurred during the past 15 years, as ocean-heating fossil-fuel emissions have driven increasingly intense hurricanes.

The highest death counts were in counties with majority Black, brown and Indigenous residents, suggesting historical government neglect plays a role in the loss of life in the aftermath of tropical storms, according to the study published in Science Advances.

Tropical storms and hurricanes wreak billions of dollars of damage every year especially on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Yet this is the first study to quantify the storm-related excess death toll over time nationwide – data which could save lives.

“Cyclones don’t hit the whole country. They tend to hit places which have more Black, Indigenous and Latin people who’ve been historically underserved and overburdened through racism, and it’s these socially vulnerable communities who are bearing the brunt of post-cyclone excess deaths,” said Robbie Parks, assistant professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University’s public health school and lead author.

Read also: Twitter witnesses exodus of climate voices after Musk takeover

Speaking further, he said “For the first time we have comparable death counts over time, which from a federal government and climate justice perspective can be used as levers for action and resource allocation for evacuations, rebuilds and resilience,”.

Parks and his colleagues estimated the number of excess deaths after tropical storms in all affected areas in the US, breaking down the data for every county, year, and storm, using death registration data across four decades. Island states and territories including tropical storm-prone Hawaii and Puerto Rico – where almost 3,000 people are estimated to have died after Hurricane Maria in 2017 – were not included due to data gaps.

According to available data, the deadliest storm was Hurricane Katrina in 2005, with 1,491 excess deaths including 719 in Orleans parish, a majority Black county. This was followed by 309 excess deaths after Hurricane Rita in Harris county, Texas; 185 deaths in Broward county, Florida, after Hurricane Matthew in 2016; and 178 in Nassau county, New York, after Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Previous research has shown that post-storm deaths can result from several major causes such as injuries, infectious and parasitic diseases, cardiovascular complications and respiratory conditions. Overall 93% of post-hurricane excess deaths – and 70% of those after a named storm – have occurred since 2005 as the impact of global heating has accelerated.

Story was adapted from the Guardian.

AtlanticColorDeathsStormsStudy
0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
admineconai

previous post
Twitter witnesses exodus of climate voices after Musk takeover
next post
Workers say shortage of experts, low pay ‘major barriers to UK’s net zero future’

Related Posts

Scientists say nearly 40% of the world’s glaciers...

June 3, 2025

German court dismisses climate case against RWE

May 28, 2025

WHO Climate Change action plan approved

May 28, 2025

Report: World likely to breach 1.5°C limit in...

May 28, 2025

At Bonn climate talks, Brazil demands early deals...

May 23, 2025

Guterres raises alarm over rapid Himalayan glacier melt

May 17, 2025

Study shows two-thirds of global warming caused by...

May 8, 2025

Weather expert warns climate change to hit agriculture...

May 5, 2025

Trump dismisses authors of major climate report

April 30, 2025

New UN report shows Indigenous Peoples sidelined in...

April 25, 2025

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Newsletter

Subscribe my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Bloglovin
  • Vimeo

@2021 - All Right Reserved. Designed and Developed by Eco-Nai+

EcoNai Newsroom
  • Newsround
  • Nigeria
  • Africa
  • World