Last May, it took just one minute for an EF-4 tornado to strike the small town of Greenfield.
Four people were killed by winds of up to 185 mph, the highest on record, and flying debris; some meteorologists say wind speeds may have actually reached 300 mph. The storm struck and destroyed over 100 homes and caused extensive damage to many other buildings, including Adair County Memorial Hospital.
The tornado passed close to the 25-bed hospital, blowing out windows and sending a car crashing into the side of the building.
“[The] “The big issue is the roof essentially came off and water was leaking through,” hospital CEO Katherine Hillestad said, “so there was extensive water damage throughout the building.”
Standing in the surgery wing, which like much of the hospital is still under construction three months later, Hillestad said every department was affected. She pointed to the surgery wing’s huge windows that overlook the tornado’s path.
“There was broken glass in the walls, so we basically had to tear everything down, redo the drywall and repaint,” she said.
Natalie Krebs
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Side effects Public media
While the Greenfield tornado did not strike Adair County Memorial Hospital directly, the EF-4 tornado caused high winds and flying debris damage, causing severe damage throughout the hospital.
The Midwest is in the midst of a season of climate change-driven flooding and tornadoes caused by factors such as warm and cold jet streams caught in active storms. These natural disasters can occur within minutes, or even seconds, but can have long-term effects on the health of the region.
Long-term health effects
The damage forced the Adair County Memorial to close and some services to be moved to an elementary school on the other side of town, with Hillestad saying many residents had to travel up to an hour to get care over the summer.
“One of our goals is to keep patients local, but the tornado has limited our ability to accomplish that goal as we don’t have an emergency room or an operating room,” she said.
While the hospital has resumed some outpatient services and plans to open more in the coming months, Hillestad said he expects the events of that terrifying afternoon will have lasting mental health effects.
“PTSD [post traumatic stress disorder]”The trauma that was inflicted on a lot of people,” she said. “I think that’s going to be the biggest thing we’re going to see after this.”
Sudden, extreme weather events such as floods and severe storms can have many negative mental health effects, including sleep disorders and depression-like symptoms. A growing body of research links climate change to mental health concerns. While scientists have not conclusively linked tornadoes to climate change, the emotional impacts can be just as devastating as other climate change-related disasters.
Tammy Jacobs, hotline manager for Iowa Concern, which provides relief after disasters, said problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder often don’t emerge until months after a sudden, traumatic event.
“anytime […] “As the skies turn gray and black again, people who survived the tornado start to relive their experiences,” she says. “When it starts to rain, sometimes when you start to take a shower, just the sound of the water brings back those fears: ‘Will I get home? Will my house flood again?'”
Jacobs said many are facing ongoing stress as they consider disaster relief options and what to do with their damaged homes.
“Most people don’t have flood insurance. Homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover much of what’s damaged. So it’s just frustrating trying to get by and making decisions like, ‘Do I rebuild? Do I relocate?'” she said.
Natalie Krebs
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Side effects Public media
Three months after an EF-4 tornado struck Greenfield, the emergency room at Adair County Memorial Hospital remains closed. The hospital was heavily damaged in the May tornado that also damaged more than 100 homes.
Incomplete or improper post-flood repairs can cause a variety of problems beyond the emotional toll. For example, standing water in the home can lead to mold growth, which can cause breathing problems and neurological problems in children.
“It could also create breeding sites for mosquitoes that can carry disease,” said Alicia Bast, water program director for the Iowa Environmental Council.
Vast said he was also concerned that flooding could lead to drinking water contamination by agricultural runoff, sewage and other harmful substances entering the water supply.
“Private wells and public water sources where people get their water are harboring increased levels of bacteria and other chemicals that are dangerous to humans,” she said.
The problem is only getting worse
These health concerns are likely to continue and may even get worse: The Midwest has seen record tornado activity this year, and warmer weather is expected to lead to more tornadoes in the offseason, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Parts of the Midwest also continue to experience severe flooding due to rising temperatures caused by climate change.
Dealing with these increasing disasters means dealing with climate change, and environmental health experts like Maureen Lichtfeld of the University of Pittsburgh say policymakers should work with affected communities, even if some people don’t perceive climate change as a threat.
“They may not call it climate change, but if flooding and tornadoes are their concern, we need to put ourselves in their shoes and work together to come up with solutions,” she said.
Side Effects Public Media is a health reporting collective based at WFYI in Indianapolis. We partner with NPR stations across the Midwest and surrounding areas, including KBIA and KCUR in Missouri, Iowa Public Radio, Ideastream in Ohio, and WFPL in Kentucky.
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