This is the 14232nd most frequent German word.
heimgesucht
"Haunted" or "afflicted."
Here, 'heimgesucht' is used to indicate that the village experienced an intense negative event, like being affected by the storm.
Das Dorf wurde von einem Sturm heimgesucht.
The village was afflicted by a storm.
In this sentence, 'heimgesucht' is used metaphorically to express that the old man was tormented by his fears in a recurring and haunting manner.
Der alte Mann wurde in seinen Träumen von seinen Ängsten heimgesucht.
The old man was haunted by his fears in his dreams.
The term 'heimgesucht' signifies that the city was seriously impacted by the spread of the disease, stressing the severity of the situation.