News
New Registry Study Finds Increased Injuries after Hurricanes
Survivors of the World Trade Center disaster who lived in the Tri-State
area during Hurricane Sandy experienced multiple types of injuries.
Registry researchers sent surveys to 8,870 enrollees living in New York,
New Jersey and Connecticut five months after the storm. Among the 4,435
respondents who lived in flooded areas, 10 percent reported injuries,
and nearly three quarters of them had more than one injury. The greatest
number of injuries occurred among people who attempted clean-up or repair
work in a damaged or destroyed home. The most common injuries were arm/hand
cuts and back strain. The risk of injury was greater among those who had
more flooding in their homes, whether or not they evacuated. The highest
percentage of injuries, about 39 percent, was among responders who evacuated
by walking or swimming. Hurricane preparation and messages to warn people
about the potential for injury during evacuation and clean-up or repair
might help reduce the amount and severity of injuries after a hurricane.
Nonfatal Injuries 1 Week after Hurricane Sandy - New York City Metropolitan
Area, October 2012. Brackbill RM, Caramanica K, Maliniak M, et al. MMWR
Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014 Oct 24;63(42):950-4.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25340912
