In 2017, 12 residents at the Rehabilitation Center at Hollywood Hills in Florida died from heat-related causes following a power outage caused by Hurricane Irma.
Nasir contextualizes the 12 deaths as the culmination of Hurricane Irma’s devastating impact on Florida, poor management at the Hollywood Hills Rehabilitation Center, and limited communication efforts between the state and local levels. The author notes the lack of research on this event as well as on the impact of Hurricane Irma on the predominant older population in the state. Nasir suggests that the implementation of comprehensive evacuation strategies and improved communication pathways would have prevented the deaths of the residents altogether.