Extreme weather can leave a trail of destruction and a lasting impact on health

It only took a minute for an EF-4 tornado to rip through the small town of Greenfield last May.

Violent winds of up to 185 mph and flying debris killed four people. Some meteorologists say wind speeds may actually have reached 300 mph. It directly hit and destroyed more than a hundred homes and severely damaged many other structures, including the Adair County Memorial Hospital.

The tornado passed right by the 25-bed hospital. He blew out his windows and sent a car flying into the side of the building.

“(The) biggest thing is that our roof was basically torn off … which allowed the water to come in,” said Catherine Hillestad, the hospital’s CEO. “So we had extensive water damage throughout the building. ”

Inside the medical-surgical unit, which three months later is still under construction along with most of the hospital, Hillestad said every department had sustained damage. She pointed to a giant window in the facility overlooking the path of the tornado.

“There were shards of glass on our wall, so we basically had to tear it all down, re-plasterboard it and then repaint it,” she said.

It’s been an active season in the Midwest for disasters like floods, which are fueled by climate change, and tornadoes, which are caused by factors like warm and cold jet streams that get caught up in an active storm. These natural disasters strike in minutes – even seconds – but can have long-lasting consequences for community health.

Long-term health effects

The damage closed the Adair County Memorial. Some services have been moved to the town’s primary school. Hillestad said many residents also had to travel up to an hour away for care during the summer.

“One of our goals is to keep patients local, so without the emergency room, without the operating room, we weren’t able to do that as much because of the tornado,” she said.

The hospital has reopened some outpatient services and expects to open more units in the coming months, but Hillestad said he expects there to be long-lasting mental health effects from that terrifying afternoon.

“PTS (post-traumatic stress disorder), the trauma that was inflicted on a number of people,” she said. “I think that’s going to be the biggest thing we’re going to see after the event.”

Sudden extreme weather events such as floods and severe storms can have many negative mental health consequences, including sleep problems and depression-like symptoms. A growing body of research linked climate change to mental health issues. Scientists have not conclusively linked tornadoes to climate change, but the emotional impact can be just as devastating as other climate change disasters.

Often, problems like post-traumatic stress disorder don’t appear until months after sudden traumatic events, said Tammy Jacobs, emergency line manager for Iowa Concern, which provides resources after disasters.

“Whenever (…) the sky turns gray and black again, then those who have experienced tornadoes, they start to remember the experience they had with tornadoes,” she said. “When it starts to rain, sometimes when it starts to rain. take a shower, just the sound of the water can bring back the fear of, “Will I go back to a house? Is my house going to flood again?’”

Many people are also dealing with the ongoing stress of trying to figure out disaster assistance options and what to do with their damaged home, Jacobs said.

“Most people don’t have flood insurance. Their homeowners insurance will pay very little of the things that were damaged. So, just the frustration of working, trying to rebuild, making that decision, “Do I rebuild? Am I moving?’” she said.

Incomplete or inadequate flood repairs can lead to a number of problems in addition to mental strain. For example, standing water in a home can lead to mold growth, which can cause breathing problems and neurological problems in children.

“It could also create a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which are disease vectors,” said Alicia Vasto, director of the water program at the Iowa Environmental Council.

Vasto said she is also concerned about contamination of drinking water when floodwaters push agricultural runoff, sewage and other hazards into water supplies.

“Private wells or public water sources that they draw that water from and they have elevated amounts of bacteria or other types of chemicals that would be dangerous to human health,” she said.

The problem will only get worse

These health problems are likely to continue – and even worsen. The Midwest has seen record tornado activity this year, and the number of off-season tornadoes is expected to increase due to a future warmer climate, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Parts of the Midwest also continue to experience severe flooding due to rising temperatures due to climate change.

Addressing these growing disasters means addressing climate change. Environmental health experts like Maureen Lichtveld of the University of Pittsburgh say policymakers should work with communities that are affected, even though some people may not recognize climate change as a threat.

“They may not call it climate change, but if flooding or tornadoes are their concerns, we have to meet them where they are and come up with solutions collaboratively,” she said.

Side Effects Public Media is a health reporting collaborative based at WFYI in Indianapolis. We partner with NPR stations in the Midwest and surrounding areas, including KBIA and KCUR in Missouri, Iowa Public Radio, Ideastream in Ohio, and WFPL in Kentucky.

Copyright 2024 Side Effects Public Media