Reflections on Hurricane Katrina Two Decades Later: Findings From a Retrospective Population-Based Sample of...

To characterize morbidity, health care-seeking, and medication-related needs among survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

We used a two-stage sampling method to survey and interview 210 Hurricane Katrina survivors in Louisiana from 2006 to 2007. Interviews assessed injury, illness, environmental exposures, disaster-related damage, medication use, and health care-seeking behavior. Descriptive statistics were calculated.

Nearly 25% of respondents reported direct contact with hurricane-related floodwater. Nearly all experienced substantial property damage; wind (75.6%) and floodwater (67.5%) were the most common causes of damage. Before Hurricane Katrina, 70% of respondents reported good/excellent health; afterward, 35% reported worse health. Physical injury was reported by 17% of participants, emotional injury by 85%, and illness by 32%. Among those reporting injury/illness, 64% sought care for physical injuries, 21% for emotional injuries, and 63% for illnesses. Medication provision was common among those receiving care (70%-88%). Notably, 47% of respondents reported using at least one medication before the disaster, and 42% were unable to identify the specific medication they were taking.

Hurricane-related morbidity extends beyond health care system encounters and is likely underestimated by facility-based surveillance alone. Medication continuity and health care access represent important but understudied dimensions of disaster-related morbidity that remain relevant in contemporary disaster preparedness and response efforts.