Overview

• Published August 6 in Frontiers in Public Health, the study tracked nearly 300,000 Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 or older across 959 zip-code tabulation areas from 2013 to 2017.
• Residents in 454 flooded ZCTAs exhibited an average 9% rise in all-cause mortality up to five years after Hurricane Sandy compared with those in unaffected areas.
• Flooded zones in Connecticut saw a 19% increase in death risk and New York City saw an 8% increase, while New Jersey and New York State showed no significant mortality change.
• Researchers adjusted for age, gender, race, income and living circumstances to isolate the long-term impact of flood exposure on older adults.
• The findings underscore calls for regional disaster recovery plans to integrate long-term health strategies for vulnerable senior populations.