Impacts Of Hurricanes And Floods Compound For The Most Vulnerable

This year’s hurricane season brought a stark reminder that nobody is safe from the traumatic impacts of severe weather. Hurricane Helene brought devastating once-in -1000 years flooding to part of Appalachia considered relatively safe from those effects. In fact, Asheville, NC, was called a “climate haven” before the hurricane. Hurricane Milton quickly followed, wreaking havoc across Florida with heavy rains and high winds, making 2024 only the sixth year since 1960 with at least two Category 5 hurricanes in a single season. Millions of people suffer from these natural disasters.

People in different population groups suffer more or less from the impact of a naturalized disaster. In general, those who have more wealth will fare better than those who are worse off financially. In the case of hurricanes, those with at least some money in financial reserves are more likely have the choice to relocate. They can pay for a hotel or other places to stay away from home. Or, if they cannot relocate, they can at least stock up on essentials like food, water and medicine and maybe even buy a generator to avoid going without electricity for a while. And, having wealth can make it possible to repair the damage brought by high winds and heavy rains without having to wait for insurance checks to arrive, allowing the more fortunate to return home and rebuild sooner. Those without sufficient wealth will more likely suffer from a lack of necessities early on and will have to wait much longer. In some cases, these families may never be able to return home.