By Shannah Koss, EVP of Community Development
July 2018
As the Carolinas and adjacent states endure and work to recover from Hurricane Florence, it underscores how natural disaster recovery is very similar and overlapping to healthcare in being inseparable from living conditions (aka social determinants of health).
The aftermath of Katrina was a critical driver for the adoption of electronic medical records to minimize disruption in care based on the need for access to accurate timely health information. It is possible that the sustained impacts of recent storms, and likely Florence, could be a driver for more sustained investment in improved living conditions.
It is the individuals and communities that experience significant challenges in their daily living that are least equipped to readily evacuate and also hardest pressed to recover. The individuals and families often struggle with many living challenges with respect to economic stability, education, food, physical environments and community and social context (support systems, community engagement, discrimination etc.).
We are seeing first-hand how many people are still severely affected by last year’s hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. It is no surprise that individuals, families and communities with the least resources are still struggling. Communities arguably do the best they can, but like healthcare, it is not something we can afford to do after the fact. We have to help all communities prepare to avoid and manage risks and plan for recovery by building toward resilience.
The good news is that the call for evacuations came early. The not so good news is highlighted in the following excerpt about the likely disproportionate effect on low income and people of color:
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- More than a million people have already evacuated, but some may not be able to escape the storm’s larger impact. Its path includes communities in North Carolina that lack the resources to prepare, rebuild, or, in some cases, even evacuate…
…Already, the area’s primarily low-income, African-American residents have experienced harmful health effects from the industry’s air pollution [from existing ‘massive open-air lagoons’ filled with waste], North Carolina’s Indy Week found.
…Already, the area’s primarily low-income, African-American residents have experienced harmful health effects from the industry’s air pollution [from existing ‘massive open-air lagoons’ filled with waste], North Carolina’s Indy Week found.
- Now, as the storm intensifies, experts predict the state’s most vulnerable residents could experience Florence’s effects for years to come; as research on previous hurricanes shows, disasters often exacerbate existing racial and economic disparities, leaving a trail of destruction that’s not always immediately visible.
There is a silver lining if we are willing to heed the call. As we continue to find that health risks, impacts and disparities are tied to these fundamental living challenges we have an opportunity to make sustained changes that will transform health and support community resilience. Livpact is committed to promoting access to community services and resources that can help individuals and families in times of need and with day-to-day living by making it easier to find and use needed resources.