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Hurricanes and Health: Vulnerability in an Age of Climate Change

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Climate Change and Global Public Health

Part of the book series: Respiratory Medicine ((RM))

Abstract

The prevalence and severity of hurricanes are increasing. This chapter examines the physical and mental health effects of hurricane exposure within our changing climate. We explore a range of physical health effects, including mortality, morbidity, injuries, infectious disease, chronic disease, and mold-related illnesses. We also examine several mental health consequences of hurricane exposure, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and risk factors for poor post-disaster mental health outcomes, as well as factors that protect against poor mental health. We use evidence from public health, sociology, psychology, and geography to highlight the health effects from the most recent, as well as most powerful, hurricanes to strike the continental United States. Our goal is to provide evidence of the wide-range health consequences caused by direct and indirect hurricane exposure, and bring attention to areas that need further investigation as the intensity of hurricanes grows due to our changing climate.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, USA

    Alexis A. Merdjanoff

  2. T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Division of Policy Translation and Leadership Development, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA

    Rachael Piltch-Loeb

Authors
  1. Alexis A. Merdjanoff
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  2. Rachael Piltch-Loeb
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Correspondence to Alexis A. Merdjanoff .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA

    Kent E. Pinkerton

  2. NYU School of Global Public Health New York University, New York, NY, USA

    William N. Rom

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Merdjanoff, A.A., Piltch-Loeb, R. (2021). Hurricanes and Health: Vulnerability in an Age of Climate Change. In: Pinkerton, K.E., Rom, W.N. (eds) Climate Change and Global Public Health. Respiratory Medicine. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54746-2_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54746-2_15

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  • Publisher Name: Humana, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-54745-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-54746-2

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