Asthma ED Visits Surge on Thunderstorm Days, Study Finds

A new retrospective study has confirmed a significant association between thunderstorm events and spikes in asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits in Wichita, Kansas—an area with high environmental allergen burden.

The findings, presented at American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting, support the implementation of storm-specific asthma education and preparedness strategies.

Researchers analyzed 4439 asthma-related ED visits across 3 hospitals in Wichita between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2024. Of these, 627 visits (14.1%) occurred on 38 days identified as thunderstorm days, based on meteorologic data from the National Centers for Environmental Information.

Despite accounting for only 2% of total calendar days in the study period, storm days were responsible for more than 1 in 7 asthma-related ED visits. The average number of ED admissions on thunderstorm days (17.91) was significantly higher than on nonstorm days (3.09) (Mann-Whitney U = 41,787.5; p < 5.55 × 10⁻²²).

“This analysis confirms that thunderstorm events pose a substantial risk for asthma exacerbations requiring emergency care,” the authors wrote. “Such days represent a disproportionate burden on emergency resources.”

Multivariable logistic regression identified age as a significant predictor of storm-day presentation, with older patients more likely to present during storm events (β = 0.0071, p = 0.002). Gender, zip code, and ED disposition did not significantly affect storm-day presentation risk.

The authors concluded that these findings underscore the importance of public health preparedness in areas prone to thunderstorm asthma. “These data support targeted education and adjustments to asthma action plans to reduce morbidity during high-risk weather events,” they stated.

The study, approved by the Ascension Health Institutional Review Board, highlights the need for integrating environmental alerts into asthma management strategies, particularly in allergen-rich regions like Wichita.

Reference
Thunderstorm-associated increases in asthma ED visits in a midwestern us city: a five-year review. Presented at: American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting; November 6-10, 2025; Orlando, FL.