Mortality rates immediately after severe hurricanes in Cuba have decreased over the past three decades

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study is to understand how Cuba responds to extreme weather events, which can help identify and disseminate good public health practice.

Study design: The study design of this study is an observational study using routinely collected mortality data.

Methods: National daily mortality counts after severe hurricanes arrived on the Cuba landmass since 1990 were compared with baseline values. Incidence rate ratios of mortality during the hurricane and for the four weeks afterwards were calculated for four eligible hurricanes: Georges (1998), Dennis (2005), Ike (2008) and Irma (2017).

Results: Mortality rates decreased over time (P < 0.001 for interaction), and no excess mortality counts were observed after Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Conclusions: Mortality rates for severe hurricanes that have made landfall in Cuba have decreased over three decades, despite the most recent hurricane (Irma) being one of the strongest observed in recent decades. This suggests that the Cuban public health preparations and responses to recent severe hurricanes are probably contributing to this mitigation in national mortality rates during these periods.

Keywords: Cuba; Hurricanes; Mortality.