As climate-change-driven natural disasters grow in prevalence and intensity, a new study by researchers from The Center for Health Equity: Engagement, Education, and Research found that these disasters have displaced 3.2 million U.S. adults in 2022 and 2023, disproportionately affecting people from underrepresented backgrounds and circumstances.
The study, based on U.S. Census Bureau data, is set to be published in the January issue of the American Journal of Public Health.
“The threat of natural disasters continues to escalate as the effects of climate change unfold,” said lead researcher Ther Aung, PhD, a researcher with the MetroHealth Population Health and Equity Research Institute (PHERI). “But a lack of complete, detailed data has made it difficult to know exactly how these disasters affect individuals and families across the nation. This new study provides some of those answers.”
While existing research has focused on individual disasters or types of disasters, Drs. Aung and Ashwini Sehgal, MD, Director of Research and Evaluation for the MetroHealth Institute for Health, Opportunity, Partnership and Empowerment (H.O.P.E.TM), wanted to find out whether there might be patterns in the way all disasters – whether they involve hurricanes, fire, floods or tornados – impact different groups of people.
Their study relied on responses from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, which was first implemented to assess the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic but was later expanded to include questions about natural disasters.
It found that displacement was more likely to affect people from underrepresented backgrounds and who already face health disparities – people of color; individuals from the LGBTQ+ minorities community; people with disabilities; those with lower income; or who live with the challenges of social drivers of health (SDOH), like food insecurity or financial strain.
People of color and individuals with lower income and levels of education were more likely to experience shortages of food and water, loss of electricity, unsanitary conditions, feeling isolated and experiencing scams following a natural disaster.
“Our findings suggest that addressing social drivers of health and other factors that contribute to vulnerability may help improve disaster preparedness and lessen suffering,” Dr. Aung said. “We hope our research will amplify the topic and be a catalyst for action.”
The study’s release in the American Journal of Public Heath comes as millions in the southeastern United States continue to deal with the devastation following two history-making hurricanes making landfall in the span of two weeks.
“There is an urgency to this work and to understanding how these catastrophic events – driven by human-caused climate change – impact those who live where they strike,” Dr. Sehgal said. “Hopefully, our study will help inform disaster management and help communities prepare for the inevitable future consequences of climate change.”
The study can be viewed as part of the American Journal of Public Health First Look.
The impact of the environment and climate change on public health, particularly in disadvantaged communities, has been an ongoing focus for Drs. Sehgal and Aung. Their work has made MetroHealth a leading voice in the national conversation on the subject.
This summer month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded MetroHealth a $17.2 million grant to lead a program aimed at improving air quality in the homes of people with asthma in Greater Cleveland.
The MetroHealth “Asthma, Indoor Pollution and Greenhouse Gases” project was among the first round of 21 projects throughout the nation to be funded through the federal Community Change Grant. The $17.2 million award, announced this summer, is one of the largest of the $325 million allocation.
MetroHealth will use the EPA grant funds to work with seven community partners to replace gas ranges with electric ones in 1,200 homes, where at least one resident has a respiratory condition. The work also will include upgrades to improve homes’ electrical systems and ventilation, financial incentives to switch to renewable energy sources, and the installation of electric vehicle chargers. Learn more about the project here.