Hispanic Immigrants Vulnerabilities to Flood and Hurricane Hazards in two U.S. Metro Areas

• In Event: 281 - Regular Session. Disaster 2

Abstract

Research on vulnerability to disasters has found that extreme events generate disproportionate impacts for marginal social groups. For example, Hurricane Katrina exposed stark flood/hurricane risk disparities that burdened minorities, the poor and the infirm. Numerous studies have examined racial/ethnic dimensions of vulnerability to disasters, but few have focused on Hispanic immigrants. More research on Hispanic immigrants is needed for two reasons. One, immigrants constitute a major component of the Hispanic population—the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the US. Two, from a vulnerability perspective, Hispanic immigrants form a distinct subgroup due to linguistic and residency status disadvantages, which affect US-born Hispanics to a lesser degree. We contribute to the literature by examining the flood/hurricane vulnerabilities of Hispanic immigrants in comparison to US-born Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites. Using a mixed method approach drawing from 429 surveys and 39 follow-up interviews with residents living in flood zones, we analyze differences in self-protective action, risk perception, and hazard-specific knowledge between the three groups in two flood/hurricane-prone metro areas with large Hispanic populations: Houston and Miami. In comparison to US-born Hispanics and non-Hispanic whites, Hispanic immigrants exhibited significantly lower levels of self-protection and hazard-specific knowledge, but significantly higher perceptions of risk. This reflects Hispanic immigrants’ relatively acute vulnerability. Hispanic immigrants’ vulnerabilities were conditioned by reinforcing factors, including their lower socioeconomic status, higher rate of renter-occupancy, and lower rate of English-language proficiency. Risk reduction programs better target the particular vulnerabilities of Hispanic immigrants, and future studies should examine Hispanic immigrants’ vulnerabilities in other contexts.

Authors

• Alejandra Maldonado, University of Texas-El Paso

• Timothy William Collins, University of Texas-El Paso

• Sara Elizabeth Grineski, University of Texas-El Paso