'Double Whammy' (Katrina ⇒ Oil Spill)

It was certainly a cruel, added misfortune that the Macondo spill bore down most heavily on southern Louisiana, less than five years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Louisiana and Mississippi coast, ruined much of New Orleans, killed hundreds, drove some of the population away permanently (including essential medical professionals), devastated the local economy, and shocked the nation with images of disorder and suffering. An unfortunate lesson of the oil spill is that the nation was not well prepared for the possibility of widespread, adverse effects on human health and mental well-being, especially among a particularly vulnerable citizenry.

Gulf communities have long-time residents with strong roots to the region. Of coastal Louisiana residents surveyed after the spill, 60 percent of respondents reported living in their communities their entire lives and another 21 percent had lived there at least 20 years. This context of regional and cultural ties to their communities exacerbates the worry and stress caused by the oil spill. Nearly 60 percent of respondents reported feeling worried almost constantly during the week prior to being surveyed because of the spill.