Tropical Cyclones Drive Short-Term Death Spikes, With Kidney Disease Riskiest, BMJ Study Finds

Overview

• The multi-country analysis examined 14.8–14.9 million deaths across 1,356 communities in nine countries from 2000 to 2019, spanning 217 cyclone events.
• Mortality rose within the first two weeks after exposure and scaled with each additional cyclone day, with kidney-related deaths up 92% and injuries up 21%.
• Further increases were reported for diabetes (15%), neuropsychiatric disorders (12%), infectious diseases (11%), digestive diseases (6%), respiratory diseases (4%), and both cardiovascular diseases and cancers (2%).
• Cyclone-related rainfall showed a stronger association with deaths than windspeed, suggesting flooding and water contamination as key drivers and underscoring the need to emphasize rainfall in early warnings.
• Risks were markedly higher in more deprived areas and in places with historically fewer cyclones, prompting calls to safeguard healthcare continuity and medication access while acknowledging observational limits.