Moral Hazard, Social Catastrophe: The Changing Face of Vulnerability along the Hurricane Coasts

TLDR

Social vulnerability in the U.S. varies across groups and locations, with some regions—especially hurricane coasts—experiencing higher risk, as illustrated by Hurricane Katrina, necessitating tailored mitigation, response, and recovery strategies.

Abstract

The social vulnerability of the American population is not evenly distributed among social groups or between places. Some regions may be more susceptible to the impacts of hazards than other places based on the characteristics of the people residing within them. As we saw with Hurricane Katrina, when coupled with residencies in high-risk areas such as the hurricane coasts, differential vulnerabilities can lead to catastrophic results. The geographic discrepancies in social vulnerability also necessitate different mitigation, post-response, and recovery actions. Given temporal and spatial changes in social vulnerability in the future, a one-size-fits-all approach to preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation may be the least effective in reducing vulnerability or improving local resilience to hazards.