Dr. Julia Gohlke, Professor of Environmental Health at Virginia Tech, was recently awarded a new NIH R61/R33 grant to study the health impacts of Hurricane Helene across rural Appalachian regions of North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. The project will examine how severe flooding events affect healthcare access, infrastructure, and outcomes in medically underserved, mountainous communities, with the goal of improving disaster preparedness across the region. 

CBHDS Director Dr. Alexandra Hanlon and Research Scientist Dr. Chris Grubb will collaborate with Dr. Gohlke and her research team to support data management, statistical analyses, and dissemination for this project. 

The first phase (R61) of this project centers on time-sensitive data collection from healthcare providers, recovery organizations, and school staff in the hardest-hit areas. The research team will conduct interviews and surveys to identify barriers faced during Helene’s response, determine priority populations and outcomes, and facilitate knowledge exchanges with flood-affected communities in Kentucky and West Virginia to share lessons learned.

“The whole purpose of this funding mechanism is to respond quickly to real-world events,” said Grubb. “We’re trying to capture what could have been done better and what healthcare professionals on the ground actually experienced.” 

In the second phase (R33), the team will use a quasi-experimental design to analyze healthcare utilization patterns before and after Hurricane Helene. By integrating satellite-derived flood maps, hydrodynamic models, and fine-scale topographic data, the research team aims to assess how flood severity and community factors, including healthcare coalition activation, Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) scores, and the presence of school-based health centers, influence recovery outcomes.

“Our surveys will help refine flood maps and improve data accuracy,” Grubb explained. “In many areas, the official maps don’t reflect what residents actually experienced on the ground. By working with hydrology experts, we hope to make these tools more precise and useful for future response planning.”

Working in partnership with local health departments, hospitals, and Virginia Cooperative Extension, the research team will also co-develop communication and coordination strategies based on their findings to help communities better prepare for and respond to future disasters.

By combining community insight with rigorous data analysis, this project will deliver actionable recommendations to strengthen healthcare resilience and disaster response throughout Appalachia’s rural, mountainous regions.