Temporal Trends and Geographic Clustering of U.S. Weather-Related Disasters (1989-2019): A Foundational Baseline for...

Over the past three decades, the United States has experienced a notable increase in weather-related disasters, including hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and severe storms, posing growing challenges to healthcare preparedness and public health systems. This study analyzes Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster declarations from 1989 to 2019 to characterize temporal and geographic trends in weather-related events. Data after 2019 were excluded to avoid confounding effects associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted disaster declarations, resource allocation, and healthcare system demands. Using descriptive statistics, generalized linear mixed models, and spatial clustering techniques, we identified substantial increases and nonlinear patterns in disaster declarations, with variation across hazard types and regions. These trends reflect evolving hazard exposure, regional differences, and policy-driven declaration practices. Although this study does not directly measure health outcomes or social vulnerability, the observed patterns have important implications for healthcare system capacity, workforce preparedness, and populations known to be disproportionately affected by disasters. The findings highlight the need for climate-informed training, data-driven preparedness planning, and integration of disaster trend analysis into nursing education and public health practice. Strengthening the ability of healthcare systems to anticipate and respond to evolving disaster patterns is critical for advancing resilience and promoting equitable health outcomes in the context of climate change.