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Natural Disasters
1 - 20 of 56 Results
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Hurricane Ian鈥檚 Deadly Impact on Florida Seniors Exposes Need for New Preparation Strategies
Lengthy checklists from public health officials on handling emergencies miss vulnerable seniors who can鈥檛 always follow the recommendations.
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Climate Change Magnifies Health Impacts of Wildfire Smoke in Care Deserts
Smoke- and ash-filled air can trigger or exacerbate severe respiratory conditions. But the medical specialists who treat these illnesses are often scarce where they are most in need.
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Hurricane Ian Shows That Coastal Hospitals Aren鈥檛 Ready for Climate Change
Hundreds of medical centers along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts face serious risks from even relatively weak storms as climate change accelerates sea-level rise 鈥 not to mention big ones like Category 4 Hurricane Ian.
By Daniel Chang and Lauren Sausser -
Journalists Look Into Wildfire Trauma and the South鈥檚 Monkeypox Response
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
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As Californians Get Older and Less Mobile, Fires Get Hotter and Faster
Retirement areas are increasingly being built in the idyllic wooded fringe of towns and cities. Being close to nature also means being in the path of wildfires.
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KHN on the Air This Week
KHN and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here鈥檚 a collection of their appearances.
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As Fires and Floods Wreak Havoc on Health, New Climate Center Seeks Solutions
The climate change center at UCLA鈥檚 Fielding School of Public Health plans to study and help implement policies for slowing climate change and adapting to it.
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Native Americans Feel Double Pain of COVID and Fires 鈥楪obbling Up the Ground鈥
Tribal leaders have worked to keep the coronavirus off their reservations because of its deadly impact on Native populations. But careful avoidance of the COVID virus has handcuffed the tribes as they face a devastating fire season.
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Tough to Tell COVID From Smoke Inhalation Symptoms 鈥 And Flu Season’s Coming
Respiratory symptoms stemming from coronavirus infection and smoke inhalation are too similar to distinguish without a full workup. This is complicating the jobs of health care workers as wildfires rage up and down the West Coast.
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Tourists Tote Dollars 鈥 And COVID 鈥 To U.S. Caribbean Islands
Tension rises among residents and travelers as U.S. island territories work to stymie the coronavirus while attempting to keep their doors open to tourism.
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How to Weigh Evacuation Options With Both Wildfires and COVID at Your Door
As the twin disasters of COVID-19 and fire season sweep through California, thousands of residents are weighing difficult options, pitting risk against risk as they decide where to evacuate. Amid a virulent pandemic, where can you safely relocate?
By Jenny Gold -
Wildfires Provide Another Reason to Mask Up
As the long U.S. fire season gets underway, it鈥檚 even more important for Western residents to have a good face mask. Unfortunately, most of the masks we鈥檙e wearing for COVID-19 aren鈥檛 great for smoke.
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COVID Plans Put to Test as Firefighters Crowd Camps for Peak Wildfire Season
Thousands of firefighters from across the U.S. have converged on the West as the wildfire season enters its peak. The inherently dangerous job now carries the additional risk of COVID-19 transmission, and fire managers are adapting their plans for crowded fire camps in the hope of preventing outbreaks that could sideline crews and weaken the nation鈥檚 firefighting infrastructure.
By Matt Volz -
Must-Reads of the Week
Newsletter editor Lauren Olsen wades through hundreds of health care policy stories each week, so you don鈥檛 have to.
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鈥楢n Arm And A Leg鈥: What A Fleet Of Firetrucks Can Teach About Public Health
This week on 鈥淎n Arm and a Leg,鈥 a front-line physician wonders if the health care industry鈥檚 drive for 鈥渆fficiency鈥 has robbed the system of surge capacity, leaving the nation underprepared to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In Tornado Alley, Storms Are Even More Dangerous For People With Disabilities
As climate change bears down, a haphazard web of weather safeguards is a particular blow to the disabled. In Oklahoma, no state laws require homeowners or landlords to install storm shelters. If a community wants to open a storm shelter for the public, that's up to local officials, But there's no database that Oklahomans can consult showing where public or wheelchair-accessible shelters are located.
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Coping With (Power) Loss: California’s Hospitals, Clinics, Patients Face New Reality
How are critical medical services interrupted by the loss of power and what can hospitals and clinics do to minimize the impact? This Q&A will give you some answers.
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Nursing Home Safety Violations Put Residents At Risk, Report Finds
A federal audit of 19 California nursing homes released today found hundreds of violations of safety and emergency standards, putting vulnerable nursing home residents at increased risk of injury or death during a wildfire or other disaster.
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If Power Outages Are California鈥檚 New Normal, What About Home Medical Needs?
Those who rely on plug-in health devices or medicine that requires refrigeration are scrambling to find ways to avoid potentially life-threatening disruptions now and in future fire season shutdowns.