The wake of Hurricane Matthew: Vulnerability, resilience, and migration

University Of Georgia Research Foundation Inc, Athens GA

Investigators

Abstract

The research funded by this Rapid Response Research Grant supports the collection of data on post-disaster relocation decision-making. In coming years, the frequency and intensity of coastal flooding are anticipated to increase because of rising sea levels and amplified storm severity. While there have been numerous studies of decision-making around temporary evacuation, surprisingly little is known about how people decide whether and when to leave permanently. Ephemeral data collect by this project will be used to understand the factors that affect how people make migration decisions. Findings from this research will be of use to city and regional planners and local and state governments as they prepare for the outcomes of future disasters. Therefore, a University of Georgia team composed of architect Brian Orland and anthropologist Meredith Welch-Devine will take advantage of the recent occurrence of Hurricane Mathew to learn more about how extreme events affect relocation intentions. The researchers will focus their investigation on the Georgia coast. Hurricane Matthew's impact on the Georgia coastline offers an unusual opportunity to investigate how residents experienced the storm and how that experience affected thinking about future migration. The storm passed the Georgia coast at low-tide so the resulting surge was particularly revealing of where the future impacts of projected sea level rise and future storms would likely occur. Residents now understand who will be impacted and how severely by future storm events. Because most residents eventually were able to return their homes, they comprise an ideal population from which to collect baseline data for longitudinal research. The researchers will survey coastal residents about their beliefs and attitudes toward climate change, sea-level rise, storm events, and emergency preparedness. The survey data will be complemented by in-depth interviews with a sub-sample of residents stratified by social and economic status. The data will also be used as a baseline for future post-storm research in the area, as well as by social scientists seeking to improve theories of what factors most affect people's relocation choices after extreme events.