Risk Perceptions of Hurricane Hazards and the Missing Link for Minority Populations

As our climate changes and weather extremes have a greater impact on all our communities, it is important to highlight and investigate the communities that have been continually under-served and remain in greater risk of environmental harm. Research has shown that vulnerable groups are less likely to be prepared for natural disasters (Howard et al., 2017). Furthermore, racial and ethnic minority communities are more vulnerable than others across a range of events before and after a disaster (Elliot & Pais, 2006; Forthergill, Maestas, & Darlington, 1999; Howard, Agllias, Bevis, & Blakemore, 2017; Pastor et al., 2006). This research is aimed at gaining a deeper insight to not only the risk perceptions of racial and ethnic minorities, but also their likely protective actions during high precipitation events, specifically flooding/flash flooding, storm surges, and hurricanes. The United States population is becoming increasingly diverse (Chappell, 2017), therefore it is critical to contribute to the scant research that centers around minorities and natural disasters. A nationally distributed web based survey with 1049 participants found significant differences between African Americans and Latinos’ perceptions of storm surge and flooding, and decision-making for hydrologic events. This research finds African Americans are more concerned about storm surge than they are about flooding, while risk perception of storm surge among Latinos is more varied and lower, compared to flooding risk. Latino participants were more likely to evacuate upon receiving a hurricane warning when compared to African Americans. These findings not only contribute to further understanding the vulnerabilities of racial and ethnic minority communities, but also calls attention to the need for additional research about minority community’s risk perceptions of severe weather.