Mental Health Effects of Hurricane Sandy on Older Adults

Objectives To examine whether hurricane exposure, lack of access to medical care (LAMC), and displacement during Hurricane Sandy were associated with PTSD and other mental health (MH) symptoms among older adult New York residents. Methods Participants ( N = 411) were ≥60 years old at the time of survey data collection (1–4 years post-Sandy). Outcomes included PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms and stress. Hurricane exposure, displacement, and LAMC were primary predictors. Results Older adults with greater hurricane exposure had increased PTSD, anxiety, and stress symptoms. LAMC had a strong association (ORadj = 4.11) with PTSD symptoms but was not associated with other MH symptoms. Displacement was not associated with MH outcomes. Discussion This is the first study to examine exposure, displacement, and LAMC together and to examine their varying impacts on different MH outcomes among older adults post-hurricane. Findings support the importance of disaster preparedness interventions tailored to the MH needs of community-dwelling older adults.

Twitter under Storm: Social Media Response Sensitization in the Caribbean

Climate change has led to rising sea levels and warmer sea surface temperatures. These factors contribute greatly to the intensity of hurricanes and floods they provoke. Projections estimate there will be an increase of 45% to 87% in the frequency of Category >4 hurricanes originating in the Atlantic Basin, which typically impact the Caribbean and Continental United States of America. During the 2019 Hurricane Season, there were 20 depressions, 18 storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. Through this work, we explored the response on Social Media to these natural phenomena as a function of their trajectory, intensity, and previous exposure of the population to intense natural disasters. Data was collected through the Twitter API. The influences of hurricane proximity and intensity on volume of Social Media production was explored. Hurricane Dorian, with its trajectory strongly threatening the previously exposed Puerto Rico, and eventually causing widespread damage in the Abaco Islands of the Bahamas, presented the strongest case for the evaluation of the dichotomy of responses between populations with differences in previous history of exposure. The landscape of historic hurricane exposure Caribbean has radically changed in recent years. Taking advantage of Big Data to help elucidate these dynamics could be instrumental in the tailoring of emergency preparedness plans and the effective design of mental health first aid strategies.

Understanding Associations Between Hurricane Harvey Exposure and Mental Health Symptoms Among Greater Houston-Area Residents

ABSTRACTObjective:Hurricane Harvey made landfall on August 25, 2017 and resulted in widespread flooding in Houston and the surrounding areas. This study aimed to explore the associations between exposure to Hurricane Harvey and various mental health symptoms.Methods:Self-reported demographics, hurricane exposure, and mental health symptomatology were obtained from residents of the greater Houston area through convenience sampling for a pilot study, 5 months after the storm from January 25-29, 2018 (N = 161).Results:Increased hurricane exposure score was significantly associated with increased odds for probable depression, probable anxiety, and probable posttraumatic stress disorder after adjusting for other factors associated with mental health. No significant associations were found between demographic characteristics and risk of mental health difficulties.Conclusions:Mental health difficulties associated with exposure to Hurricane Harvey were still present 5 months after the storm. Future disaster response programs should focus on providing long-term mental health services to hurricane survivors.

Understanding Spatiotemporal Development of Human Settlement in Hurricane-prone Areas on U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts using Nighttime Remote Sensing

Hurricanes, as one of the most devastating natural disasters, have posed great threats to people in coastal areas. A better understanding of spatiotemporal dynamics of human settlement in hurricane-prone areas is demanded for sustainable development. This study uses the DMSP/OLS nighttime light (NTL) data sets from 1992 to 2013 to examine human settlement development in areas with different levels of hurricane proneness. The DMSP/OLS NTL data from six satellites were intercalibrated and desaturated with AVHRR and MODIS optical imagery to derive the vegetation-adjusted NTL urban index (VANUI), a popular index that quantifies human settlement intensity. The derived VANUI time series was examined with the Mann-Kendall test and Theil-Sen test to identify significant spatiotemporal trends. To link the VANUI product to hurricane impacts, four hurricane-prone zones were extracted to represent different levels of hurricane proneness. Aside from geographic division, a wind-speed weighted track density function was developed and applied to historical North Atlantic Basin (NAB)-origin storm tracks to better categorize the four levels of hurricane proneness. Spatiotemporal patterns of human settlement in the four zones were finally analyzed. The results clearly exhibit a north-south and inland-coastal discrepancy of human settlement dynamics. This study also reveals that both the zonal extent and zonal increase rate of human settlement positively correlate with hurricane proneness levels. The intensified human settlement in high hurricane-exposure zones deserves further attention for coastal resilience.

Mental health challenges and experiences in displaced populations following Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Harvey: the need for more comprehensive interventions in temporary shelters

Hurricane exposure can have a profound impact on mental health, leading to increased symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder that are still present years after the storm. Those displaced following a hurricane are particularly vulnerable to adverse mental health outcomes, especially if displaced to temporary shelters. The current work highlights the experiences and mental health challenges of displaced populations following Hurricane Sandy and Hurricane Harvey, as well as describing barriers to conducting research in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Harvey and the need for more comprehensive interventions in these vulnerable populations.