Health effects of coastal storms and flooding in urban areas: a review and vulnerability assessment

Abstract

Coastal storms can take a devastating toll on the public's health. Urban areas like New York City (NYC) may be particularly at risk, given their dense population, reliance on transportation, energy infrastructure that is vulnerable to flood damage, and high-rise residential housing, which may be hard-hit by power and utility outages. Climate change will exacerbate these risks in the coming decades. Sea levels are rising due to global warming, which will intensify storm surge. These projections make preparing for the health impacts of storms even more important. We conducted a broad review of the health impacts of US coastal storms to inform climate adaptation planning efforts, with a focus on outcomes relevant to NYC and urban coastal areas, and incorporated some lessons learned from recent experience with Superstorm Sandy. Based on the literature, indicators of health vulnerability were selected and mapped within NYC neighborhoods. Preparing for the broad range of anticipated effects of coastal storms and floods may help reduce the public health burden from these events.

Figure 1

Logic model of potential health impacts of coastal storms.

Figure 2

Maps of selected vulnerability indicators within any 2012 NYC hurricane evacuation zone: (a) percent deteriorated or dilapidated housing; (b) percent below federal poverty level; (c) percent aged 85+; and (d) percent with frequent mental distress by UHF neighborhood. Note that prevalence estimates represent the entire UHF neighborhood but are only shown within the evacuation zone.