Immediate Injury Deaths Related to the Remnants From Hurricane Ida in New York City, September 1-2, 2021.

The remnants from Hurricane Ida in September 2021 caused unprecedented rainfall and inland flooding in New York City (NYC) and resulted in many immediate deaths. We reviewed death records (electronic death certificates and medical examiner reports) to systematically document the circumstances of death and demographics of decedents to inform injury prevention and climate adaptation actions for future extreme precipitation events. There were 14 Ida-related injury deaths in NYC, of which 13 (93%) were directly caused by Ida, and 1 (7%) was indirectly related. Most decedents were Asian (71%) and foreign-born (71%). The most common circumstance of death was drowning in unregulated basement apartments (71%). Themes that emerged from the death records review included the suddenness of flooding, inadequate exits, nighttime risks, and multiple household members were sometimes affected. These deaths reflect interacting housing and climate crises, and their disproportionate impact on disadvantaged populations needing safe and affordable housing. Climate adaptation actions, such as improving stormwater management infrastructure, informing residents about flood risk, implementing Federal Emergency Management Agency recommendations to make basements safer, and expanding emergency notification measures can mitigate risk. As climate change increases extreme precipitation events, multi-layered efforts are needed to keep residents safe.

Energy Insecurity Indicators Associated With Increased Odds Of Respiratory, Mental Health, And Cardiovascular Conditions.

Energy insecurity, defined as the inability to meet household energy needs, has multiple economic, physical, and coping dimensions that affect health. We conducted the first citywide representative survey of energy insecurity and health in a sample of 1,950 New York City residents in 2022. We compiled ten indicators that characterize energy insecurity as experienced in New York City housing settings and then examined associations between number and types of indicators and health conditions. Nearly 30 percent of residents experienced three or more indicators, with significantly higher levels among Black non-Latino/a and Latino/a residents compared with White non-Latino/a residents, renters compared with owners, recent immigrants compared with those living in the United States for longer, and those in households with children compared with those with no children. Residents with three or more indicators of energy insecurity had higher odds of respiratory, mental health, and cardiovascular conditions and electric medical device dependence than residents with no indicators. Our study demonstrates that broadening the understanding of energy insecurity with context-specific metrics can help guide interventions and policies that address disparities relevant to health and energy equity.