Flood Risk to Hospitals on the United States Atlantic and Gulf Coasts From Hurricanes and Sea Level Rise

Hurricanes have caused major healthcare system disruptions. No systematic assessment of hurricane risk to United States hospital-based healthcare delivery has been performed. Here, we show that 25 of 78 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) on the United States Atlantic and Gulf Coasts have half or more of their hospitals at risk of flooding from relatively weak hurricanes. 0.82 m of sea level rise expected within this century from climate change increases the odds of hospital flooding 22%. Furthermore, in 18 MSAs at least half of the roads within 1.6 km of hospitals were at risk of flooding from a category 2 storm. These findings identify previously undescribed risks to hospital-based care delivery in Atlantic and Gulf Coast communities. They suggest that lower intensity hurricanes can have outsized impacts on healthcare access, particularly in places where per capita bed availability is low. Plain Language Summary Hurricanes often incapacitate hospitals, a critical component of healthcare delivery. Climate change is contributing to more intense hurricanes and sea level rise that increase flood risk. Flooding can curtail operations of and limit access to hospitals. We analyzed how hurricane landfalls affect flooding risks to hospitals that serve highly populated cities on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. We find that even relatively weak hurricanes can flood most of the hospitals in urban coastal areas and that sea level rise expected within this century due to climate change significantly increases flooding risk.

Automated summary

The study found that hospitals in some areas along the United States Atlantic and Gulf Coasts are at risk of flooding from weak hurricanes, and that sea level rise due to climate change may further increase the flood risk to hospitals.