Objectives: To assess community preparedness and ongoing recovery efforts in the rural counties most severely impacted by Hurricane Michael, including structural and economic losses, injury and illness, healthcare access, and suicide risk and ideation.
Design: The Florida Department of Health conducted a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) in January 2020, 15 months after Hurricane Michael made landfall in October 2018.
Setting: A total of 30 clusters were randomly selected from three rural counties in the Panhandle of Florida, including Jackson (15 clusters), Gadsden (11), and Calhoun (four) counties.
Participants: A total of 185 face-to-face and two phone interviews were conducted with residents 18 years of age or older.
Main outcome measure: Hurricane preparedness, structural and economic losses, access to care, and physical and mental health.
Results: Around 43 percent of respondents evacuated as a result of Hurricane Michael, and at least two-thirds of all respondents reported having an emergency supply kit and enough nonperishable food, water, and medication. Structural damage was extensive with 63 percent reporting home damage, averaging over $32,000. Few injuries or illnesses were reported post-landfall (9 percent), with the most common being minor injuries and bacterial infections. Most respondents reported continued access to healthcare if needed. The most common stress-related issues reported were difficulty sleeping (19 percent) and agitated behaviors (10 percent). Seven percent of respondents reported being at moderate to high risk for suicide.
Conclusions: Rural areas may lack resources, such as healthcare facilities, skilled workers, and supplies, that hinder their ability to recover from storms when compared to more urban counties. Many residents reported that 15 months after the storm, their homes were still not fully repaired. A majority of residents were prepared with adequate supplies, had minimal disruption in employment or healthcare access, and had few illnesses or injuries during the storm or the recovery efforts.