On the 5th Anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, New Paper Finds Mental Health and Economic Toll of COVID-19 Pandemic Magnified by Adverse Experiences During Hurricane Harvey

A collaborative team at Notre Dame, Rice University, and the Environmental Defense Fund has published a new study using the Texas Flood Registry and the COVID-19 Registry. We found that individuals who experienced income loss during Hurricane Harvey were at nearly four times greater odds of income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. The odds of having severe anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic were five times greater among individuals who experienced Hurricane Harvey as a severe event, compared to those whose experience was not severe. As climate change contributes to increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters, response efforts must consider the effects of repeated exposures.