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 1, 2026, a fire at Le Constellation resulted in 40 deaths and 116 injuries during New Years Celebration in the Swiss Alpine resort town of Crenas-Montana, Valais. The fire broke out shortly after 1:26 a.m. when the venue was crowded with patrons marking the holiday.
Continue reading “Fire in Swiss Alpine Bar Leaves 40 Dead”
This is a developing story.
On January 18, at 7:45 p.m., a derailment and collision of two high-speed trains near the Spanish town of Adamuz resulted in 40 deaths and over 120 injured passengers. The death toll has not been finalized, and the number of unaccounted passengers remains unclear.
Continue reading “Train Crash in Spain Leaves 40 Dead”
Introduction: Drought has emerged as a critical hazard threatening water security in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital. Its impacts extend beyond the city, affecting surrounding areas that depend on it for water supply and undermining food security, public health, and infrastructure nationwide. In 2024, Zimbabwe declared a national disaster after severe rainfall shortages destroyed over half of the national harvest, leaving 7.6 million people food insecure. The country’s reliance on subsistence agriculture, which supports roughly 70% of the population, further heightens vulnerability to water scarcity.
Continue reading “Ami Fall, T’Oluwanimi Ademola-Thomas, and Ramya Mark’s Disaster Plan: Urban Droughts in Harare, Zimbabwe”
Introduction: Venezuela is a country in northern South America that borders both the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the neighboring countries of Colombia, Brazil, and Guyana. The country has a long history of oil production dating back to the early twentieth century, and its petroleum wealth has played a central role in its modern economic development. Venezuela’s oil reserves are distributed across several regions, including the Orinoco Delta and offshore areas, the eastern Llanos, the states of Guárico, Anzoátegui, and Monagas, the Lake Maracaibo Lowlands in Zulia state, and the western Llanos in the states of Barinas and Apure. The country holds approximately 298–300 billion barrels of proven oil reserves and an estimated 513 billion barrels of recoverable oil, primarily heavy, sour crude concentrated in the Orinoco Belt. Recent data indicate that Venezuela produces on the order of 892,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with production levels fluctuating around this range in recent years.
Continue reading “Catherine Martinez, Dalanda Jallow, Anika Nayak, and Mia Tran’s Disaster Plan: Oil Spills in Venezuela”
Introduction: Haiti is located on the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the south. Its mountainous terrain, densely populated urban centers, and widespread coastal settlements make it exceptionally vulnerable to hurricanes and other hydrometeorological hazards. Sharing the region’s exposure to intense tropical cyclones, heavy rainfall, storm surges, and flooding, Haiti has experienced events that have historically caused devastating human and economic losses
Continue reading “Marsha Williams, Catherine Martinez, Yashvee Shah, Zuha Baig, Berkeley Sanchez, and Jose Flores Hernandez’s Disaster Plan: Hurricanes in the Caribbean Region”Introduction: Dengue fever is an emerging vector-borne disease in Kenya, transmitted primarily through the bite of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. The illness is characterized by high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, and rash; in severe cases, it can progress to forms of severe dengue, such as hemorrhagic fever or shock, both of which can be fatal. Once considered a disease largely confined to Asia and Latin America, dengue is now increasingly reported in Africa, where local outbreaks have become more frequent and widespread. Kenya has experienced several such outbreaks over the past decade, with documented episodes in coastal counties such as Mombasa, Kilifi, and Lamu in 2011, 2013, 2017, and 2021. These repeated events highlight dengue’s persistence in the region and the significant challenges it poses to public health infrastructure.
Continue reading “Sam Sitarz, Bhabna Ghosh, and Xuliang Xiao’s Disaster Plan: Dengue Outbreaks in Kenya”
Measles has been on the rise since March 2024, threatening its 30-year elimination status in the United States. In this case study, Syeda noted a continued trend of measles cases as of December 2, 2025, with 87% of cases being outbreak-associated, often occurring in close-knit communities with low vaccination rates. Despite this resurgence, vaccination remains a highly effective prevention strategy.
Continue reading “Lamiya Ahmed’s Case Study on Measles Outbreaks in the United States”Introduction: Wildfires are an escalating hazard across Canada, driven by rising temperatures, longer dry seasons, and shifting precipitation patterns linked to climate change. Once considered relatively rare in Newfoundland and Labrador, wildfire risk has grown in recent years, with the summer of 2022 marking one of the most severe seasons in over half a century. Entire communities in Central Newfoundland were forced to evacuate as fires spread rapidly under hot, dry conditions. Although the total number of fires has decreased nationally, the size and intensity of those that do occur have increased dramatically, underscoring the growing danger. These events not only destroy forests and infrastructure but also create significant public health challenges, particularly for children exposed to hazardous smoke and poor air quality.
Continue reading “Yi-Ru Chen, Sarim Faheem, and Yoko Nogami’s Disaster Plan: Wildfires near Canadian School Grounds”
Introduction: The Guadalupe River Basin is situated near Texas’s “Flash Flood Alley,” where flooding occurs frequently and rapidly due to the state’s unique natural terrain.1 The weak soil and steep terrain cannot withstand sudden downpours, causing rivers to rise with alarming speed. The October 1998 flood, when nearly half a meter of rain fell in a single day, serves as a horrifying reminder of this threat.
Continue reading “Savannah Bush, Kimari McCoy, and Cara Rubin’s Disaster Plan: Guadalupe River Flooding & Drownings”Hurricane Katrina from August 2025 led to catastrophic flooding in the hardest hit states of New Orleans, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi. It caused 1392 deaths and $125 billion in damages the U.S. Flooding also affected hospitals and their residents significantly. In this case study, Raveena analyzed the case study of Hurricane Katrina and its detrimental impact on the facility and patients at Memorial Medical Center. Due to the failure of backup generators from water submersion and the lack of an evacuation plan in place, 200 patients and 1800 staff/family members were tracked inside from Aug 29 to Sep 1, 2025, with an eventual death toll of 45.
Continue reading “Raveena Bola’s Case Study on Memorial Medical Center”