NYU GPH Journal of Public Health Disasters
A student-led journal driven by the latest research in public health disaster preparedness and management.
On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. More than 220,000 people died, 300,000 were injured, and 1.5 were left displaced or homeless. The quake was one of the deadliest natural disasters in the 21st century.
Continue reading “Lexie Zinselmeier’s Case Study on the Haiti Earthquake “
On September 1, 2021, remnants of Hurricane Ida brought record-breaking landfall to New York City. The intense rain led to severe flooding, resulting in 14 deaths and over 30,000 damaged structures. Most of the casualties were Asian immigrants living in unregulated basement apartments.
Continue reading “Olivia Morris’ Case Study on Hurricane Ida in New York City”
2024 has proven to be a historic hurricane season, with Hurricane Milton being the fifth strongest hurricane in the Atlantic and producing a record-breaking 126 tornado warnings for the state of Florida. Subsequently, Hurricane Helene made news around the world as the deadliest and costliest hurricane to hit the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Helene caused historic damage to parts of the southeastern U.S., especially western North Carolina, as news of the catastrophic flooding continues to spread around the globe. Experts and observers are wondering how Helene was able to cause such a high level of flooding so far from where it made landfall in Florida.
Continue reading “Hurricane Helene and Milton’s Destructive Paths”
In 1995, the New Jersey Department of Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry began an investigation into the growing concerns about elevated rates of childhood cancer in the New Jersey region. The investigation was a response to resident concerns about water environmental pollution. The research focused on industrial sites in the area that were ultimately found responsible for significant contamination.
Continue reading “Ameisha O’Connor’s Case Study on Childhood Cancer in New Jersey”
In July 2024, Boar’s Head, a prominent deli meat producer, became the center of a serious Listeria outbreak linked to its liverwurst and other deli products. The contamination was traced back to a facility in Virginia, prompting the recall of millions of pounds of deli meats. Affected products were distributed across 19 states, resulting in at least 34 hospitalizations and 10 deaths. This outbreak is one of the largest food-related Listeria incidents in the U.S. in recent years, with cases particularly concentrated in New York, Illinois, and New Jersey. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) played a pivotal role in identifying Boar’s Head liverwurst as a primary source after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.
Continue reading “Listeria Outbreak in Boar’s Head Products Kills 10”
On May 6, 2023, 33-year-old far-right extremist Mauricio Martinez-Garcia opened fire outside of a mall in Allen, Texas. The shooting killed eight civilians and injured seven. After the event, gun control activists, including President Joe Biden, pushed for legislation that would enact an assault weapon ban and universal background checks, which ultimately died in the Texas Senate.
Continue reading “Aryeh Korman’s Case Study on Texas Mall Shooting”
In 1984, a methyl isocyanate leak from a local pesticide plant killed thousands of people in Bhopal, India, known as the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The event had significantly adverse impacts on vulnerable populations, leading to 15-20,000 premature deaths and reports of ocular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, psychological, and neurobehavioral effects.
Continue reading “Ishita Nair’s Case Study on the Bhopal Gas Tragedy”
An extreme flooding event in Detroit in 2014 exposed the outdated stormwater infrastructure in much of the United States. Since the event, various studies have shown that instead of mitigating flooding and its costly consequences, the antiquated sewer systems are actually worsening flooding events.
Continue reading “Research Finds Stormwater System Ineffective, Even Deadly”
The UK-led initiative, “Smart’ Health Care Facilities in the Caribbean Project,” aiming to improve critical healthcare facilities’ infrastructure and environmental impact in the Caribbean, has proven to be a resounding success in Jamaica as Category 4 Hurricane Beryl caused extensive damage to the island.
Continue reading “Jamaica’s ‘Smart Health Centers’ Withstand Category 4 Beryl”
On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy struck New York City, causing 43 deaths, the evacuation of 6,500 patients from hospitals and nursing homes, and flooding of almost 90,000 buildings. While the global impacts of floods are well studied, the event was unprecedented for New York City, highlighting the need for improved preparedness for similar disasters.
Continue reading “Brianna Baez’s Brief on Hurricane Sandy Preparedness and Response”