The world has experienced several devastating weather events, with each being more destructive than the last. Given the damaging effects of weather disasters, significant attention has been paid to the climate and its potential effects on public health. For instance, the United States of America has suffered dangerous storms, including the deadly Hurricane Harvey (Wochit News, 2018). It is widely believed that the effects of storms have been significantly worsened by global warming. It is important to realize that the health impact of hurricanes is two-pronged; the injuries and deaths resulting from the actual impacts of the hurricane and the follow-up effects of the damage caused by the storm. The damage caused by the hurricane is what is responsible for much of the public health harm. Therefore, frequency and severity of weather events like Hurricane Florence can have significant impacts on public health.
Flood Water Injuries
When hurricanes occur, people’s lives are lost. Majority of the people who die when hurricanes strike normally drown. It is estimated that 75 percent of the fatalities are drowning. For instance, two feet of rapid floodwater is enough to sweep away an SUV. Additionally, six inches of floodwater can knock over an adult. Thus, Hurricane Florence can cause a lot of deaths in the Carolinas (Harmon, 2018). People often need to realize that rushing water, common during hurricanes is very dangerous. Floodwaters can also draw out dangerous wild animals which may cause injuries or death to humans. Stinging fire ants that are clumped together like large floating rafts could injure humans. Hurricane activity can also increase the potential for snake bites, endangering the lives of locals.
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Infectious Diseases
A typical flood caused by a hurricane does not contain rain alone. During the storm, sewage systems often spill their guts. It is important to realize that floodwater can dredge more infections things such as human waste. These contaminants may lead to serious infections that may endanger the lives of the locals. Flood water can do things even worse than dredge up sewage wastes. For instance, the floods caused by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005 exhumed corpses. Some coffins were sent afloat through the neighborhoods. Such wastes could produce nasty microbes that could pose serious threats to human health. In fact, some cases of antibiotic resistant staphylococcus bacterium were reported among New Orleans evacuees. This suggests that Hurricane Florence could pose a significant public health threat in the Carolinas (Garcia, 2018). Diseases such as cholera and tetanus could be on the rise following floods caused by a hurricane. It is worth realizing that it is very difficult to maintain food hygiene in disaster zones. This can be worsened by the fact that stress associated with disasters compromises the immune systems of the victims.
Power Outages
Hurricanes often damage electrical lines, leading to massive power outages in the affected areas. This suggests that Hurricane Florence could jeopardize power lines in the Carolinas. During such temporary power outages, a lot of homeowners normally resort to portable gasoline power generators. Such home owners should always be wary of the potential danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. It is estimated that portable power generators are responsible for 83 percent of the carbon monoxide poisoning deaths during natural disasters. This means that Hurricane Florence potentially presents a serious public health threat in the Carolinas.
Additionally, power outages result in lack of air conditioning. This further stresses individuals, putting those with health issues at a greater risk. This means that lack of power may further affect the health of the people living in hurricane stricken areas.
Chemical Dangers
Hurricanes could destroy chemical plants, leading to leakage of dangerous chemicals. Such chemicals may come in contact with people through floodwater. The chemicals may have significant health impacts on the people affected. Past storms have spread chemical contaminations. The floodwater can dredge out harmful chemicals, particularly from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund sites. Such chemicals pose a significant public health threat.
Drug Access
The people who flee from the flood zones for safety purposes may find it difficult to acquire medication. This presents a significant health risk, particularly for individuals with chronic medical conditions such as diabetes. Diabetics who have no insulin during such disasters may go into crisis rapidly. This is a major public health threat given the number of Americans with chronic conditions. Additionally, consumer pharmacies may be closed during such a distress period. This can be made worse particularly when communication and transport infrastructure are damaged. Lack of drugs for existing medical conditions can lead to a significant public health crisis. Thus, Hurricane Florence can impact public health in the Carolinas.
Mosquitoes
The conditions set forth by hurricanes encourage the breeding of mosquitoes. This can increase the prevalence of arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and West Nile, which are transmitted by the mosquitoes. Essentially, mosquitoes require stagnant water in order to breed. The floodwater may facilitate the breeding of mosquitoes, posing a significant public health threat. Therefore, Hurricane Florence has the potential of increasing the risk of contracting deadly viruses transmitted by the mosquitoes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is demonstrable that hurricanes present a significant public health threat in the areas they strike. This implies that Hurricane Florence may impact the health and wellbeing of the people in the Carolinas. Lives could be lost through drowning and the after-effects of the hurricanes. The floodwater could carry contaminants which can lead to disease infections. Therefore, the occurrence of hurricanes affects the health of the affected population in many ways. As such, strategies need to be put in place to ensure that that people can access the much needed healthcare during and after an hurricane strikes.
References
Garcia, S. (September 9, 2018). Forecasters Expect ‘Rapid Intensification’ of Hurricane Florence, The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/09/us/hurricane-florence-isaac-weather-path.html
Harmon, A. (September 13, 2018). Catastrophic Rain Predicted as Hurricane Moves Toward Carolinas, The New York Times , https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/12/us/hurricane-florence.html
Wochit News. (August 27, 2017). Effects of Hurricane Harvey, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSe0BBN6x5o
