Hurricanes, Weather, Climate, and Pandemic

Will Hurricane Ida Become a COVID-19 Super-Spreader Event?

Hurricane Ida has the potential to ravage Louisiana. In addition, it may compound the effects of a low COVID-19 vaccination rate and a high COVID-19 infection rate in the Bayou State.

Hurricane. Photo courtesy of NASA on Unsplash.

“Hurricane Katrina brought a city, a state and the Bush 43rd Administration to its knees because all levels of government were unprepared for the sheer magnitude of the event.”― J.C. Phillips

I write this story as Hurricane Ida is about to slam into the shore of the US state of Louisiana. Moving north through the Gulf of Mexico at 15 mph (24 kph), the Category 4 storm may pack sustained winds of over 150 mph (241 kph). Residents in the eastern part of the state, where the hurricane is expected to make landfall, can expect widespread devastation.

Wind speed probabilities on the US Gulf Coast. Courtesy of the US National Weather Service.

Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city of New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, and other southern states in 2005. But of Ida, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared that it will be the most powerful storm to hit anywhere in the state since the 1850s.

Flooded I-10/I-610/West End Blvd interchange and surrounding area of northwest New Orleans and Metairie, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina. By AP Photo/U.S. Coast Guard, Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle Niemi — Public Domain.

COVID-19 Infection, Vaccination Rate, and Hospitalization Issues

COVID-19 alone has caused widespread suffering and death in Louisiana. An added hurricane could compound the catastrophe.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Louisiana has the second-highest 7-day COVID-19 infection rate in the country. In the past seven days, the state recorded 29,881 cases at a rate of 642.8 people per 100,000 population. This figure is second only to Florida.