Disasters collide at the intersection of extreme weather and infectious diseases

It is well understood that natural disasters interact to affect the resilience and prosperity of communities and disproportionately affect low income families and communities of color. However, given the lack of a common theoretical framework, it is rare for these interactions to be well understood or quantified. As an example, we consider the interaction of severe weather events (e.g., hurricanes and tornadoes) and epidemics (e.g., COVID-19). Observing events unfolding in southeastern U.S. communities has caused us to conjecture that the interactive effects of catastrophic disturbances and stressors might be much more considerable than previously recognized. For instance, hurricane evacuations increase human aggregation, a key factor that affects the transmission of acute respiratory infections like SARS-CoV-2. Similarly, weather damage to health infrastructure could significantly reduce a community’s ability to provide services to people sick with COVID-19 and other diseases. As globalization and human population and movement continue to increase and weather events due to climate change are becoming more intense and severe, such complex interactions are expected to magnify and significantly impact environmental and human health.