Evaluating Power Outages and Socioeconomic Disparities through Satellite Data.

After extreme weather events such as hurricanes, cities often suffer significant damage, including structural destruction, flooding, fatalities, and widespread power outages. Power outages create challenges for communities reliant on electricity, particularly those with medical needs. This research evaluates the impact of Hurricane Ian on power outages in Lee County, Florida, with a focus on analyzing socioeconomic disparities in power restoration efforts.

Using nighttime light data from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Black Marble product, we estimated power restoration times across different zip codes. Socioeconomic data from the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) and the 2022 Census report from the American Community Survey (ACS) were used to classify distinct socioeconomic groups. Geospatial data, including zip code boundaries and county limits, were obtained from the Lee County Southwest Florida GIS site to create detailed spatial analyses.

Our study considered various socioeconomic factors, including race, education level, income, and resource access, to assess how power outages affected different communities. We explored the relationships between socioeconomic diversity and power restoration times, particularly focusing on disparities related to race and income in different zip code areas following Hurricane Ian. Although further investigation is needed to confirm disparities in lower-income areas, our findings revealed that medium-income areas experienced longer power restoration times than high-income areas. According to the utility companies' annual reports, factors such as road damage and flooding likely contributed to delays in power restoration.

These findings highlight the need for more equitable power restoration strategies, where communities are prioritized based on specific needs and damages rather than solely on economic or commercial factors. Understanding these disparities can inform more equitable emergency response efforts, ultimately contributing to the resilience of all communities.