The aftermath of Hurricane Helene is heartbreaking as more information emerges from the storm-ravaged areas. So far, over 160 deaths have been associated with the storm across the Southeast. According to a new study published in Nature, Helene’s death toll can be expected to rise for more than a decade to come.
The study examined the long-term mortality impacts of tropical storms in the United States, using 500 storms between 1930 and 2015. On average, each tropical storm resulted in an additional 7,000 to 11,000 deaths over the 15 years that followed.
This long-term death toll is much higher than the average of 24 direct deaths caused by hurricanes, according to federal statistics.
This study involved many intricacies, but one way it determined a link between a storm and a death years later was by using “typical mortality patterns” and “isolating anomalies” that would only be associated with the storm.
They found that storms disrupt medical care for chronic conditions, cause financial stress from losses, have psychological effects leading to substance abuse or other medical concerns, and erode the local government’s capacity for essential services.
For instance, the stress from the destruction of family photos and personal belongings could bring on any number of medical concerns that otherwise would have never been an issue for a person. A dementia patient could lose their all-important routine. To pay for uninsured damages, people tap into their retirement funds sooner, hurting their future selves and potentially shortening their lifespan.
Coverage of Helene’s aftermath will fall out of the news cycle in a matter of weeks, and it’s for people to believe the storm is behind us. A study like this, though, really highlights how moving on for the people directly affected isn’t as easy as making some repairs, cleaning up the street, and receiving some thoughts and prayers.
Storms are deadly in the moment, and for years after they come and go.
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The post Hurricane Helene’s Death Toll Will Keep Rising for Over a Decade, Study Says appeared first on VICE.