Natural Disasters Related Traumatic Injuries/Fatalities in the United States and Their Impact on Emergency Preparedness Operations.

Gill, Sabrina; Sutherland, Mason; Raslan, Shahm; McKenney, Mark; Elkbuli, Adel

INTRODUCTION From 2015 to 2019, the United States experienced a 17% increase in weather-related disasters. OBJECTIVES We aimed to study the patterns of natural disaster-related traumatic injuries and fatalities across the United States from 2014 to 2019 and to provide recommendations that can serve to mitigate the impact these natural disasters have on trauma patient morbidity and mortality. METHODS A retrospective analysis of the National Safety Council (2014-2019) of natural disaster-related injuries and fatalities was conducted. Descriptive statistics and independent-samples t tests were performed, with significance defined as p < .05. RESULTS Floods produced significantly more mean fatalities per year than tornadoes (118 vs. 33; 95% CI [32.0, 139.0]), wildfires (118 vs. 43, 95% CI [24.8, 155.6]), hurricanes (118 vs. 13, 95% CI [51.5, 159.2]), and tropical storms (118 vs. 15, 95% CI [48.8, 158.2]). Tornadoes produced significantly more mean injuries per year than floods (528 vs. 43, 95% CI [255.9, 715.8]), wildfires (528 vs. 69, 95% CI [227.1, 691.2]), hurricanes (528 vs. 26, 95% CI [270.1, 734.2]), and tropical storms (528 vs. 4, 95% CI [295.9, 753.5]). Southern states experienced greater disaster-related morbidity and mortality over the 6-year study period than other regions with 2,752 injuries and 771 fatalities. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of traumatic injuries and fatalities related to certain natural disasters in the United States has significantly increased from 2014 to 2019. Hospital leaders, public health, emergency preparedness personnel, and policy makers must collaborate to implement protocols and guidelines that ensure adequate training, supplies, and personnel to maintain trauma surge capacity, improve emergency preparedness response, and reduce associated morbidity and mortality.