New research reveals long-term impact on health and mortality rates

  • New study challenges federal statistics on immediate hurricane deaths
  • Researchers analyzed statewide mortality data from 1930-2015 and 501 storms affecting the US
  • Storms led to 7,000 to 11,000 more deaths than expected in unaffected population
  • Additional 3.6 million to 5.7 million deaths occurred over study period
  • 4% to 5% of Atlantic Coast deaths linked to hurricanes
  • Highest risk for infants under 1 year and adults over 65 years old
  • Black individuals faced three times the risk of excess deaths compared to white residents

A new study published in Nature challenges the notion that hurricanes cause only a small number of immediate deaths. Researchers analyzed statewide mortality statistics between 1930 and 2015, comparing them to 501 tropical storms and hurricanes affecting the US. They found an average storm led to 7,000 to 11,000 more deaths than expected in a non-affected population. The study suggests an additional 3.6 million to 5.7 million people died over the period, or 4% to 5% of Atlantic Coast deaths. Federal disaster statistics record an average of 24 immediate deaths per storm. The highest risk of excess death was infants under a year old and adults over 65 years old.

Factuality Level: 8
Factuality Justification: The article presents a well-researched study on the long-term effects of hurricanes and discusses various factors contributing to excess deaths. It includes expert opinions from different fields and acknowledges potential limitations. However, it could provide more context on the methodology used in the study and include data for comparison with other racial groups.
Noise Level: 6
Noise Justification: The article provides a relevant and informative topic about the long-term effects of hurricanes on human mortality. However, it contains some filler content such as the call to ‘Join the conversation below’ which doesn’t add much value to the overall discussion. Additionally, there is a mention of unrelated information like Hurricane Katrina and a request to contact the author, which could be considered noise.
Key People: Solomon Hsiang (Professor of Environmental Social Sciences at Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability), Rachel Young (Postdoctoral Fellow at Berkeley), Elizabeth Tennant (Research Associate at Cornell University’s Department of Economics), Elisabeth Gilmore (Professor of Environmental Engineering at Carleton University)

Financial Relevance: No
Financial Markets Impacted: No
Financial Rating Justification: The article discusses a study on the long-term health effects and mortality rates related to hurricanes, which does not directly pertain to financial topics or impact financial markets or companies.
Presence Of Extreme Event: Yes
Nature Of Extreme Event: Natural Disaster (hurricane)
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: Moderate
Extreme Rating Justification: The study found that hurricanes lead to a significant number of deaths and other health issues up to 15 years after the event, with an average of 7,000 to 11,000 more deaths than expected in a population that didn’t experience a storm. The long-term consequences include job loss, property damage, disruption of healthcare access, and increased risk for infants and elderly people.
Move Size: No market move size mentioned.
Sector: All
Direction: Down
Magnitude: Large
Affected Instruments: Stocks, Bonds

Reported publicly: www.wsj.com