Citation

Ngatuvai M, Blaylock TC, Ngatuvai R, Saipale L, Schwartz G. Cureus 2024; 16(7): e63973.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Curēus)

DOI

10.7759/cureus.63973

PMID

39104969

PMCID

PMC11299704

Abstract

Hurricanes, as one of the most devastating natural disasters, significantly impact the public's health, causing both physical injuries and long-lasting mental health issues. Although substantial research has focused on hurricane-related injuries, this study aims to synthesize findings from recent literature, specifically evaluating the 10 most recent hurricanes, to identify research gaps and inform future studies. This scoping review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA-Scr guidelines, assessed studies from PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane databases, and Medline as of February 2024. Eligibility criteria focused on studies examining physical and mental health impacts, COVID-19 effects, and emergency medical services (EMS) interventions related to Hurricanes Ian, Nicholas, Ida, Zeta, Delta, Sally, Laura, Isaias, Hanna, and Dorian. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. The studies were categorized into four themes: physical injuries and fatalities, mental health impacts, hurricane-COVID-19 interplay, and EMS interventions.

FINDINGS revealed varied mechanisms of injuries and deaths, significant mental health challenges, compounded crises due to COVID-19, and diverse EMS strategies, including AI utilization and strategic planning for medical care delivery. Addressing the social determinants of health and evaluating hurricane readiness initiatives were two gaps in the literature identified. Future research should focus on the mental health impacts and concurrent crisis challenges to develop comprehensive disaster management practices that enhance community resilience against future hurricanes and public health crises.

Language: en

Keywords

social determinants of health; hurricane; covid-19 interventions; disaster management; emergency medical services; mental health outcomes; natural disasters; physical injuries; public health impacts