Latest news with #DisasterResearchCenter
Fast Company
21-05-2025
- General
- Fast Company
Socially vulnerable Americans bear the brunt of disaster displacement
People often think of disasters as great equalizers. After all, a tornado, wildfire, or hurricane doesn't discriminate against those in its path. But the consequences for those affected are not 'one-size-fits-all.' That's evident in recent storms, and in the U.S. Census Bureau 's national household surveys showing who is displaced by disasters. Overall, the Census Bureau estimates that more than 4.3 million Americans had to leave their homes because of disasters in 2024, whether for a short period or much longer. It was the fourth-costliest year on record for disasters. However, a closer look at demographics in the survey reveals much more about disaster risk in America and who is vulnerable. It suggests, as researchers have also found, that people with the fewest resources, as well as those who have disabilities or have been marginalized, were more likely to be displaced from their homes by disasters than other people. Decades of disaster research, including from our team at the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center, make at least two things crystal clear: First, people's social circumstances—such as the resources available to them, how much they can rely on others for help, and challenges they face in their daily life—can lead them to experience disasters differently compared to others affected by the same event. And second, disasters exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. This research also shows how disaster recovery is a social process. Recovery is not a 'thing,' but rather it is linked to how we talk about recovery, make decisions about recovery, and prioritize some activities over others. Lessons from past disasters Sixty years ago, the recovery period after the destructive 1964 Alaskan earthquake was driven by a range of economic and political interests, not simply technical factors or on need. That kind of influence continues in disaster recovery today. Even disaster buyout programs can be based on economic considerations that burden under-resourced communities. This recovery process is made even more difficult because policymakers often underappreciate the immense difficulties residents face during recovery. Following Hurricane Katrina, sociologist Alexis Merdjanoff found that property ownership status affected psychological distress and displacement, with displaced renters showing higher levels of emotional distress than homeowners. Lack of autonomy in decisions about how to repair or rebuild can play a role, further highlighting disparate experiences during disaster recovery. What the census shows about vulnerability U.S. Census data for 2023 and 2024 consistently showed that socially vulnerable groups reported being displaced from their homes at higher rates than other groups. People with less high school education had a higher rate of displacement than those with more education. So did those with low household incomes or who were struggling with employment, compared to other groups. While the Census Bureau describes the data as experimental and notes that some sample sizes are small, the differences stand out and are consistent with what researchers have found. For example, research has long pointed to how communities composed predominantly of Black, Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander residents have disproportionately worse recovery trajectories after a disaster, often linked to aspects such as housing tenure and land-use policies. Though reporting individual experiences, the Census Bureau's findings are consistent with this research, noting a higher rate of displacement for these groups. lack investment in storm protection measures. The morass of bureaucracy and conflicting information can also be a barrier to a swift recovery. After Hurricane Sandy, people in New Jersey complained about complex paperwork and what felt to them like ever-changing rules. They bemoaned their housing recovery as, in researchers' words, a ' muddled, inconsistent experience that lacked discernible rationale.' Residents who don't know how to find information about disaster recovery assistance or can't take time away from work to accumulate the necessary documents and meet with agency representatives can have a harder time getting quick help from federal and state agencies. Disabilities also affect displacement. Of those people who were displaced for some length of time in 2023 and 2024, those with significant difficulty hearing, seeing, or walking reported being displaced at higher rates than those without disabilities. Prolonged loss of electricity or water due to an ice storm, wildfire, or grid overload during a heat emergency can force those with medical conditions to leave even if their neighbors are able to stay. That can also create challenges for their recovery. Displacement can leave vulnerable disaster survivors isolated from their usual support systems and healthcare providers. It can also isolate those with limited mobility from disaster assistance. Helping communities build resilience Crucial research efforts are underway to better help people who may be struggling the most after disasters. For example, our center was part of an interdisciplinary team that developed a framework to predict community resilience after disasters and help identify investments that could be made to bolster resilience. It outlines ways to identify gaps in community functioning, like healthcare and transportation, before disaster strikes. And it helps determine recovery strategies that would have the most impact. Shifts in weather and climate and a mobile population mean that people's exposure to hazards are constantly shifting and often increasing. The Coastal Hazard, Equity, Economic Prosperity, and Resilience Hub, which our center is also part of, is developing tools to help communities best ensure resilience and strong economic conditions for all residents without shortchanging the need to prioritize equity and well-being. We believe that when communities experience disasters, they should not have to choose among thriving economically, ensuring all residents can recover, and reducing risk of future threats. There must be a way to account for all three. Understanding that disasters affect people in different ways is only a first step toward ensuring that the most vulnerable residents receive the support they need. Involving community members from disproportionately vulnerable groups to identify challenges is another. But those, alone, are not enough. If we as a society care about those who contribute to our communities, we must find the political and organizational will to act to reduce the challenges reflected in the census and disaster research.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The millions of people displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters each year tell a story of vulnerability and recovery in America
People often think of disasters as great equalizers. After all, a tornado, wildfire or hurricane doesn't discriminate against those in its path. But the consequences for those affected are not 'one-size-fits-all.' That's evident in recent storms, and in the U.S. Census Bureau's national household surveys showing who is displaced by disasters. Overall, the Census Bureau estimates that more than 4.3 million Americans had to leave their homes because of disasters in 2024, whether for a short period or much longer. It was the fourth-costliest year on record for disasters. However, a closer look at demographics in the survey reveals much more about disaster risk in America and who is vulnerable. It suggests, as researchers have also found, that people with the fewest resources, as well as those who have disabilities or have been marginalized, were more likely to be displaced from their homes by disasters than other people. Decades of disaster research, including from our team at the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center, make at least two things crystal clear: First, people's social circumstances – such as the resources available to them, how much they can rely on others for help, and challenges they face in their daily life – can lead them to experience disasters differently compared to others affected by the same event. And second, disasters exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. This research also shows how disaster recovery is a social process. Recovery is not a 'thing,' but rather it is linked to how we talk about recovery, make decisions about recovery and prioritize some activities over others. Sixty years ago, the recovery period after the destructive 1964 Alaskan earthquake was driven by a range of economic and political interests, not simply technical factors or on need. That kind of influence continues in disaster recovery today. Even disaster buyout programs can be based on economic considerations that burden under-resourced communities. This recovery process is made even more difficult because policymakers often underappreciate the immense difficulties residents face during recovery. Following Hurricane Katrina, sociologist Alexis Merdjanoff found that property ownership status affected psychological distress and displacement, with displaced renters showing higher levels of emotional distress than homeowners. Lack of autonomy in decisions about how to repair or rebuild can play a role, further highlighting disparate experiences during disaster recovery. U.S. Census data for 2023 and 2024 consistently showed that socially vulnerable groups reported being displaced from their homes at higher rates than other groups. People with less high school education had a higher rate of displacement than those with more education. So did those with low household incomes or who were struggling with employment, compared to other groups. While the Census Bureau describes the data as experimental and notes that some sample sizes are small, the differences stand out and are consistent with what researchers have found. For example, research has long pointed to how communities composed predominantly of Black, Hispanic, Native Americans and Pacific Islanders have disproportionately worse recovery trajectories after disaster, often linked to aspects such as housing tenure and land-use policies. Though reporting individual experiences, the Census's findings are consistent with this research, noting a higher rate of displacement for these groups. Low-income and marginalized communities are often in areas at higher risk of flooding from storms or may lack investment in storm protection measures. The morass of bureaucracy and conflicting information can also be a barrier to a swift recovery. After Hurricane Sandy, people in New Jersey complained about complex paperwork and what felt to them like ever-changing rules. They bemoaned their housing recovery as, in researchers' words, a 'muddled, inconsistent experience that lacked discernible rationale.' Residents who don't know how to find information about disaster recovery assistance or can't take time away from work to accumulate the necessary documents and meet with agency representatives can have a harder time getting quick help from federal and state agencies. Disabilities also affect displacement. Of those people who were displaced for some length of time in 2023 and 2024, those with significant difficulty hearing, seeing or walking reported being displaced at higher rates than those without disabilities. Prolonged loss of electricity or water due to an ice storm, wildfire or grid overload during a heat emergency can force those with medical conditions to leave even if their neighbors are able to stay. That can also create challenges for their recovery. Displacement can leave vulnerable disaster survivors isolated from their usual support systems and health care providers. It can also isolate those with limited mobility from disaster assistance. Crucial research efforts are underway to better help people who may be struggling the most after disasters. For example, our center was part of an interdisciplinary team that developed a framework to predict community resilience after disasters and help identify investments that could be made to bolster resilience. It outlines ways to identify gaps in community functioning, like health care and transportation, before disaster strikes. And it helps determine recovery strategies that would have the most impact. Shifts in weather and climate and a mobile population mean that people's exposure to hazards are constantly shifting and often increasing. The Coastal Hazard, Equity, Economic Prosperity, and Resilience Hub, which our center is also part of, is developing tools to help communities best ensure resilience and strong economic conditions for all residents without shortchanging the need to prioritize equity and well-being. We believe that when communities experience disasters, they should not have to choose among thriving economically, ensuring all residents can recover and reducing risk of future threats. There must be a way to account for all three. Understanding that disasters affect people in different ways is only a first step toward ensuring that the most vulnerable residents receive the support they need. Involving community members from disproportionately vulnerable groups to identify challenges is another. But those, alone, are not enough. If we as a society care about those who contribute to our communities, we must find the political and organizational will to act to reduce the challenges reflected in the Census and disaster research. This article, originally published March 4, 2024, has been updated with latest severe storms and 2024 Census data. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Tricia Wachtendorf, University of Delaware and James Kendra, University of Delaware Read more: Texas fires: With over 1 million acres of grassland burned, cattle ranchers face struggles ahead to find and feed their herds Power outages leave poor communities in the dark longer: Evidence from 15 million outages raises questions about recovery times Historic flooding in Fort Lauderdale was a sign of things to come – a look at who is most at risk and how to prepare Tricia Wachtendorf is co-director of the University of Delaware Disaster Research Center. James Kendra is co-director of the University of Delaware Disaster Research Center.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
The millions of people displaced by tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters each year tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable
People often think of disasters as great equalizers. After all, a tornado, wildfire or hurricane doesn't discriminate against those in its path. But the consequences for those affected are not 'one-size-fits-all.' That's evident in recent storms, and in the U.S. Census Bureau's national household surveys showing who is displaced by disasters. Overall, the Census Bureau estimates that nearly 2.5 million Americans had to leave their homes because of disasters in 2023, whether for a short period or much longer. However, a closer look at demographics in the survey reveals much more about disaster risk in America and who is vulnerable. It suggests, as researchers have also found, that people with the fewest resources, as well as those who have disabilities or have been marginalized, were more likely to be displaced from their homes by disasters than other people. Decades of disaster research, including from our team at the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center, make at least two things crystal clear: First, people's social circumstances – such as the resources available to them, how much they can rely on others for help, and challenges they face in their daily life – can lead them to experience disasters differently compared to others affected by the same event. And second, disasters exacerbate existing vulnerabilities. This research also shows how disaster recovery is a social process. Recovery is not a 'thing,' but rather it is linked to how we talk about recovery, make decisions about recovery and prioritize some activities over others. Sixty years ago, the recovery period after the destructive 1964 Alaskan earthquake was driven by a range of economic and political interests, not simply technical factors or on need. That kind of influence continues in disaster recovery today. Even disaster buyout programs can be based on economic considerations that burden under-resourced communities. This recovery process is made even more difficult because policymakers often underappreciate the immense difficulties residents face during recovery. Following Hurricane Katrina, sociologist Alexis Merdjanoff found that property ownership status affected psychological distress and displacement, with displaced renters showing higher levels of emotional distress than homeowners. Lack of autonomy in decisions about how to repair or rebuild can play a role, further highlighting disparate experiences during disaster recovery. The 2023 census data consistently showed that socially vulnerable groups reported being displaced from their homes at higher rates than other groups. People over 65 had a higher rate of being displaced than younger people. So did Hispanic and Black Americans, people with less than a high school education and those with low household incomes or who were struggling with employment compared to other groups. While the Census Bureau describes the data as experimental and notes that some sample sizes are small, the differences stand out and are consistent with what researchers have found. Low-income and marginalized communities are often in areas at higher risk of flooding from storms or may lack investment in storm protection measures. The morass of bureaucracy and conflicting information can also be a barrier to a swift recovery. After Hurricane Sandy, people in New Jersey complained about complex paperwork and what felt to them like ever-changing rules. They bemoaned their housing recovery as, in researchers' words, a 'muddled, inconsistent experience that lacked discernible rationale'. Residents who don't know how to find information about disaster recovery assistance or can't take time away from work to accumulate the necessary documents and meet with agency representatives can have a harder time getting quick help from federal and state agencies. Disabilities also affect displacement. Of those people who were displaced for some length of time in 2023, those with significant difficulty hearing, seeing or walking reported being displaced at higher rates than those without disabilities. Prolonged loss of electricity or water due to an ice storm, wildfire or grid overload during a heat emergency can force those with medical conditions to leave even if their neighbors are able to stay. That can also create challenges for their recovery. Displacement can leave vulnerable disaster survivors isolated from their usual support systems and health care providers. It can also isolate those with limited mobility from disaster assistance. Crucial research efforts are underway to better help people who may be struggling the most after disasters. For example, our center was part of an interdisciplinary team that developed a framework to predict community resilience after disasters and help identify investments that could be made to bolster resilience. It outlines ways to identify gaps in community functioning, like health care and transportation, before disaster strikes. And it helps determine recovery strategies that would have the most impact. Shifts in weather and climate and a mobile population mean that people's exposure to hazards are constantly shifting and often increasing. The Coastal Hazard, Equity, Economic Prosperity, and Resilience Hub, which our center is also part of, is developing tools to help communities best ensure resilience and strong economic conditions for all residents without shortchanging the need to prioritize equity and well-being. We believe that when communities experience disasters, they should not have to choose among thriving economically, ensuring all residents can recover and reducing risk of future threats. There must be a way to account for all three. Understanding that disasters affect people in different ways is only a first step toward ensuring that the most vulnerable residents receive the support they need. Involving community members from disproportionately vulnerable groups to identify challenges is another. But those, alone, are not enough. If we as a society care about those who contribute to our communities, we must find the political and organizational will to act to reduce the challenges reflected in the census and disaster research. This article, originally published March 4, 2024, has been updated with latest severe storm systems. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Tricia Wachtendorf, University of Delaware and James Kendra, University of Delaware Read more: Texas fires: With over 1 million acres of grassland burned, cattle ranchers face struggles ahead to find and feed their herds Power outages leave poor communities in the dark longer: Evidence from 15 million outages raises questions about recovery times Historic flooding in Fort Lauderdale was a sign of things to come – a look at who is most at risk and how to prepare Tricia Wachtendorf is co-director of the University of Delaware Disaster Research Center. James Kendra is co-director of the University of Delaware Disaster Research Center.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Research reveals unexpected heroes of natural disaster response: 'Every study ... has revealed'
When it comes to disaster response, most of us think of first responders as firefighters, police, EMTs, soldiers, and medics. But the very first responders, in the truest sense of the word, are the people in the immediate vicinity when a disaster takes place — and studies show that they form a critical part of disaster relief. Nice News explained the vital, yet often overlooked, role that these civilian responders play in the immediate wake of a disaster. They used the example of the Los Angeles fires in January, detailing how celebrities and everyday people went out of their way to assist their neighbors. For example, several people helped clear the streets to allow ambulances through; others helped their elderly neighbors evacuate; others volunteered their trailers to evacuate horses or braved the blazes to rescue injured wildlife. Businesses opened their doors to allow displaced residents to shower and charge their phones. Without this immediate, tangible assistance, it's almost guaranteed that many more people would have been injured or even killed. And beyond the L.A. fires, Nice News explained, over 60 years' worth of research from the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center has proved the importance — and the ubiquity — of local assistance during emergencies. "Every study of a large-scale disaster conducted by the Disaster Research Center has revealed some level of emergent, informal helping behavior," they shared. Research published in the journal Environment & Urbanization found that in crises when each minute matters, it is the people already on the scene — friends, family, and neighbors — who are most likely to save lives. From digging would-be victims out of debris to evacuating survivors from potentially dangerous zones, these people are the first line of defense even before the first responders. Local volunteers also provide critical assistance in the weeks following any disaster, even if their contributions aren't officially logged and measured. Nice News referenced a range of disasters where volunteers contributed hundreds of thousands of hours of help, from the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing to the Kobe earthquake in Japan, the September 11 attacks in New York, the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, and more. And as the dust settles — literally — there is often a need for skilled volunteers, which is why Nice News encouraged anyone in the vicinity of a disaster to look for ways to contribute in the months and even years afterward. For example, as the city recovers from the L.A. wildfires, many residents will need help navigating insurance claims, correctly filling out FEMA paperwork, rebuilding temporary and new homes, looking for new jobs, and more. If you don't live near a disaster but would like to help contribute to recovery efforts, donating money to reputable volunteer and disaster relief organizations is an excellent way to lend a hand. What would you do if natural disasters were threatening your home? Move somewhere else Reinforce my home Nothing This is happening already Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Chicago Tribune
29-01-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Flawed emergency alert systems lagged when residents needed them most during Los Angeles wildfires
LOS ANGELES — When disaster strikes, government emergency alert systems offer a simple promise: Residents will get information about nearby dangers and instructions to help them stay safe. As the deadly LA wildfires and other major emergencies have shown, alerts rely on a complicated chain of communication between first responders, government administrators, third-party companies and the public. Sometimes, the chain breaks. After the wind-driven wildfires broke out in Southern California on Jan. 7, evacuation orders for some neighborhoods — including the part of Altadena where the majority of deaths occurred — came long after houses were reported on fire. On Tuesday, Los Angeles County officials approved an outside review of how alerts functioned in the Eaton Fire and Palisades Fire in response to residents' demands. City officials declined to answer AP's questions about a lag in some Palisades Fire alerts, though Fire Capt. Branden Silverman said responding to a fire and determining evacuation needs can take some time. It's an increasingly common issue: After-action reports and investigations revealed issues with alert systems in other California blazes: in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, which killed 22 people in Santa Rosa; the 2018 Camp Fire, which killed 85 people in Paradise; the Woolsey fire, which started the same day and killed three in Malibu; as well as in Colorado's 2021 Marshall Fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes outside Denver; and in Hawaii's 2023 Lahaina Fire, which decimated that historic town and killed 102. It could take months to know why some evacuation orders lagged in the Los Angeles fires. Several residents who lost homes in the Eaton Fire told The Associated Press they received no notifications about their neighborhoods. For others, the first warning was an urgent text message in the middle of the night. Susan Lee Streets, who signed up for the alert app Nixle, did not get any alerts specific to her west Altadena neighborhood before she and her family left of their own accord around 10 p.m. after losing power and cell reception. 'If we had even been informed that houses and other structures were burning down, we would have known better what was happening,' she said. 'We almost went to sleep that night with two kids and a dog and two cats in the house.' Only after 3 a.m. did an alert hit her phone. Destroyed along with the house are the Christmas ornaments she saved for her children, and countless other family keepsakes. 'We lost everything, everything,' Streets said, breaking into tears. Tricia Wachtendorf, director of the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware, said alerts have to be specific and clear. Research has shown that for them to be effective, people have to hear, understand, believe, personalize and confirm them before they react. 'Just because you send the message at 3 a.m. doesn't mean someone is hearing it,' Wachtendorf said. The hours between midnight and 3:30 a.m. appear to have been particularly challenging for first responders in Los Angeles County, based on an AP review of scanner traffic recordings and data from CalFire, the state's chief fire agency; the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA; and the Watch Duty app. Resources were stretched thin, and hurricane-force winds had grounded air support, limiting authorities' ability to get a top-down perspective on the flames. Calls reporting burning homes were flooding in as embers blew onto roofs and yards. During one half-hour period, 17 new addresses were relayed to firefighters, even as some crews ran low on fuel. By 12:07 a.m., CalFire records show, dozens of neighborhoods had been ordered to evacuate because of the Eaton Fire, all of them east of Altadena's North Lake Avenue. None of the neighborhoods to the west — where all of the 17 confirmed fatalities occurred, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times — had received evacuation warnings or orders, despite house fires being reported there more than an hour earlier. Over the next three hours, fire crews would go from begging for resources on the eastern flank of the blaze to radioing the command center to make sure it knew the fire was spreading west along the foothills near Sunset Ridge. Just before 3:30 a.m., evacuation orders expanded significantly, with residents in 12 areas of Altadena and elsewhere told to 'leave now.' Jodi and Jeff Moreno first heard about the fire from a neighborhood app. But the first official warning only came around 2:30 a.m., when authorities yelled through a bullhorn to evacuate. The couple grabbed their three daughters, their dog and some important papers, and fled. There were no text alerts until after they were gone. 'On the neighborhood apps, some people were going, some people were staying. It was a wide variety of responses. We were navigating it on our own,' Jodi Moreno said. 'It's hard for us to gauge where exactly is that fire, where are the embers blowing. … Those are things I would rely on people who are monitoring it' for information. Desperate for more information, both the Morenos and Streets downloaded the Watch Duty app, which maps evacuation zones and consolidates information from multiple sources into a single stream. Launched in 2021 and today covering 22 states, it became a lifeline for them. 'The ideal system for warning people is informing them, right?' said Nick Russell, vice president for operations at Watch Duty. 'There's certainly diligence necessary in the execution of official evacuation warning and orders or shelter in place, whatever the condition might be,' he said. 'But telling people why that discussion is taking place between law enforcement and fire is important. And that's what we're doing.' The process of issuing evacuation notices starts with firefighters or other personnel on the ground recommending action, Russell said. It then moves up the chain of command to sheriffs, who ultimately put out any order. During major emergencies that communication can be hampered by issues such as limited radio connectivity, wind noise or other technical problems. Incident command stations may have trouble synthesizing the large amounts of information they are getting from different agencies, something that is critical for understanding the scope of an emergency like a fire. In Los Angeles County, residents who sign up for emergency notifications through the AlertLACounty website are then directed to a list of 57 links to other specific neighborhood or city alert system signups, as well as a general one covering 19 other cities. The city of Los Angeles and the Sheriff's Department also have alert systems. It is not clear how the overlapping systems, which use different software programs, work together, or whether officials coordinate. A 2024 Hazard Mitigation plan directed the city's Emergency Management Department to assess gaps in alert and warning systems in areas with poor cellphone connectivity and then implement a solution to ensure alerts reach people. But that goal was given a 'medium' priority level and a long-term timeline, with completion expected sometime in the next 10 years. Meanwhile the county's Hazard Mitigation Plan, last updated in 2020, did not include a focus on emergency alerts or public notifications. Instead its high-priority goals had to do with educating people about wind's impact on wildfire risk and with community wildfire protection. Officials at the County's Coordinated Joint Information Center declined to comment other than to say that an independent review of evacuations and emergency notifications is planned and the Office of Emergency Management, County Fire Department and Sheriff's Department plan to fully engage with it. Originally Published: January 28, 2025 at 11:03 PM CST
