While the headlines fade after a flood or fire, the health care fallout can linger for years — a new Drexel study reveals how climate disasters silently erode the very infrastructure meant to protect community health.
Key Points at a Glance
- Severe climate disasters are linked to long-term loss of health care infrastructure.
- Outpatient care facilities are most affected, especially in low-income areas.
- The study analyzed 6,263 disasters across all U.S. counties between 2000 and 2014.
- Communities with greater poverty and racial segregation saw more closures.
When a natural disaster hits, the immediate damage — crumbled homes, flooded streets, blazing forests — is easy to see. But a new study from Drexel University and the University of Maryland reveals a quieter, more insidious consequence: the long-term collapse of health care access in the hardest-hit communities.
Published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, the research analyzed climate disaster data from over 3,100 U.S. counties and linked it to the presence — or loss — of health care infrastructure over 14 years. The conclusion is sobering: counties that experience major climate events are significantly more likely to lose outpatient care services, leaving residents with fewer options and less support just when they need it most.
“Communities experiencing severe disasters often face declines in health care resources, with the effects lasting for years,” said senior author Yvonne Michael, professor of epidemiology at Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health.
Drawing on data from more than 6,200 disaster events between 2000 and 2014, the study classified disasters by severity — from minor to major — and correlated these events with the appearance, disappearance, or persistence of hospitals and outpatient clinics. Even after controlling for poverty, population size, and other variables, a clear pattern emerged: as disaster severity increases, the likelihood of a health care facility closing rises sharply.
Lead author Kevin Chang, MD, emphasized the broader consequences. “Without investment in infrastructure and disaster recovery, more patients will experience an interruption in care and worse health post-disaster,” he said.
Notably, the link was strongest for outpatient care. Hospitals, often more robust and politically protected, were more likely to survive. Meanwhile, clinics — crucial for primary care and chronic condition management — quietly shuttered. Pharmacies appeared unaffected, a finding researchers attribute to the rise of pharmacy deserts and online services.
The disparities go deeper. Counties that lost health services were more likely to be low-income and racially segregated. Conversely, wealthier communities tended to retain or even expand care options post-disaster. “More affluent communities often have better connections, such as political influence, that help them maintain these important health institutions,” Michael noted.
With climate change expected to accelerate, the risk to health infrastructure is set to grow. A 2024 report from the World Economic Forum predicts $12.5 trillion in global economic losses from climate effects by 2050 — including $1.1 trillion in strain on health care systems.
The study offers compelling evidence that disaster response must evolve. Beyond short-term aid and cleanup, long-term investments in resilient health systems — particularly in vulnerable regions — are essential. Future research will examine the roles of policy, funding, and community resilience in protecting access to care.
“This study is a warning,” Michael said. “But it’s also a roadmap. We can act now to prevent these hidden losses and build a stronger, healthier future.”
Source: Drexel University
