Ohio endured a record number of tornadoes in 2024. Image: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
By Clara Lincolnhol
Ohio took a beating from a record-breaking 73 tornadoes in 2024. Twisters and other severe weather events are becoming more common in the Midwest due to climate change, and seniors are more at risk.
As the threat from major storms grows, roughly one in five older adults living in central Ohio say they feel unprepared or uncertain of their readiness for a severe weather event, according to a recent study conducted by The Ohio State University.
The study surveyed more than 1,400 individuals aged 65 and older living in eight counties to gauge their preparedness for a severe weather event. Questions were based on storm-readiness recommendations from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Overall, 78% of participants said they felt prepared for severe weather, 13% said they did not and 9% felt unsure.
The study also asked individuals if severe weather caused them significant life disruptions, such as preventing them from getting to doctor’s appointments or from accessing medication or other vital supplies.
Both preparedness levels and reported life disruptions varied greatly among counties, said Holly Dabelko-Schoeny, co-author of the study and professor of social work at Ohio State.
Data show that older individuals who live alone, have a lower-than-median income and live in rural areas are the most at risk from the impacts of severe weather, she said.
The lower a county’s median income, the more likely that its residents felt less prepared. Counties without a senior services levy — a tax that funds services and programs to help older individuals — also had lower levels of preparedness and more reported disruptions.
More than 19% of participants in Fayette County, the region’s poorest and most rural county, were prevented from attending health appointments, and 15% were unable to purchase medicine after a severe weather event.
“Fayette County emerged as one of the uniquely disadvantaged counties,” Dabelko-Schoeny said. “Fayette County is one of our only counties in central Ohio that does not have an aging services levy.”
The study is one of few to focus on elderly populations living in the Midwest, said co-author Smitha Rao, a professor of social work at Ohio State. There’s been more focus on U.S. coastal communities and how climate change impacts severe weather there.
The Midwest has a reputation for being immune to the effects of climate change, something that is simply untrue, she said.
“Central Ohio has been wrongly known as a climate haven,” Rao said. “And now we have data to show that people are facing disruptions.”
It’s not just severe thunderstorms and tornadoes that disrupt lives and pose threats. Extreme temperatures and prolonged heat waves are occurring more frequently in Ohio. Extreme heat, for instance, prevents some elderly individuals from leaving their homes, Rao said.
Ohio now also experiences extended periods of no rainfall followed by intense rain that falls in a short time. The excessive water overwhelms roads and other infrastructure, said Debelko-Schoney.
“We are facing new risks,” she said. “Many of our behaviors, activities and predictive models are based on what has happened in the past, and we can no longer do that because what we are facing is unique and unprecedented.”
Aging bodies have a more difficult time with temperature regulation. Decreased mobility is another factor of aging that makes susceptibility to severe weather greater, she said.
Staying prepared and connected
The majority of the state’s tornadoes in 2024 occurred in the central part of the state but they can happen anywhere and during any month, said Christine Aiena, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, Ohio.
“It’s definitely important to always be prepared,” Aiena said. “Even if it feels like winter, in a couple weeks you could have a warmup and have severe weather happen again.”
Tornado damage in Kenton, Ohio. Image: Wikiwillz via Wikimedia Commons.
It’s important to have multiple ways to receive weather information and to not only rely on your cell phone, she said. Tuning into a news station, listening to a weather radio and checking weather websites and apps are all ways to stay informed.
Making a weather preparedness kit with medication, important documents, batteries, a flashlight, food and water is a great way to be ready for the aftermath of a storm. And staying up to date with the forecast in your area is crucial too, Aiena said.
“When severe weather happens, when flooding happens, you don’t have to scramble, you have everything at your fingertips,” she said.
Having intentional conversations with family, friends and neighbors to make a communication plan in the case of an emergency is also important, Debelko-Schoney said.
“The most protective factors are social connectedness and social support in terms of ensuring more positive outcomes when there are severe weather events,” she said.
Other crucial ways to help one another include checking in with people and offering transportation services and other emergency supplies before and after a storm.
Researchers and emergency professionals should speak with older adults to understand what their specific needs may be and connect them with the resources they need to be prepared, well before a severe weather event happens, Rao said
“This one-size-fits-all emergency preparedness model might not work for many of our older adults,” she said. “We are absolutely trying to address that by bringing them to the table, learning from them and learning about their specific needs.”