2024’s Most Hurricane-Vulnerable Counties

Who is most at risk for financial and emotional distress from hurricanes? 

Those who are living in poverty or are in lower income brackets [are most at risk] because the cost of evacuating and any recovery cost makes these communities highly vulnerable.

Resilience is extremely difficult for these communities. Black and Hispanic communities have a higher risk because of historical policies and practices.

What are the three best resources for disaster relief?

1. FEMA — Federal Emergency Management Agency

2. Red Cross

3. Local organizations and nonprofits

What are the top three ways to prepare for a severe hurricane?

• If it is severe, you should evacuate. However, the key is to know beforehand where valuables are kept in the event of evacuation.
• Keep phone contacts and other important documents in a ziplock bag in the event of flooding.
• Have a hurricane plan in place now.

What are the three best ways to help those who were affected by a hurricane?

• Determine their emotional, physical, and mental needs — and if they know where family members are located.
• Help them to get through the short-term stress and shock from the loss of property and life.
• Help them to find resources to address immediate and short-term needs.

How can local governments best prepare for increasingly intensifying hurricanes in the U.S.?

• Message the community about the power, typical damage of hurricanes, and why evacuation is required.
• Help them to prepare hurricane kits and identify important documents.
• Provide some guidance about how to evacuate and the needed resources for evacuation.

What are the top three ways to prepare for a severe hurricane?

I would begin with the basics:

1. Know if you are in an evacuation zone and have a route planned along with keeping all your important documents together to take with you or keep in a safe place that will not be underwater in your house.

2. Have supplies, food, water, and medications on hand to last several days to two weeks without power. This includes taking care of animals as well.

3. Have a way to get weather alerts from a trusted source such as hurricanes.gov or weather.gov and stay updated on the conditions. Determine and stay in a safe location and be prepared to adhere to the instructions and advice of local officials.

What are the three best ways to help those who were affected by a hurricane?

1. Often it is the basics that are required after a hurricane affects an area: shelter, water, ice, and food that will not go bad in unrefrigerated conditions.

2. They are likely to need assistance clearing the area safely and not over-exerting themselves and staying cool in the process as best you can.

3. Finally, a lot of people are shocked by what took place and need someone to listen and help them according to what you learned from hearing their talking points.

How can local governments best prepare for increasingly intensifying hurricanes?

Mitigate the impacts wherever possible. If a coastal community perhaps setback laws and restrictions and had post-evacuation routes and shelters that are tested and stocked with food and equipment to house evacuees are some ways [to prepare].

Inland areas that will feel the impacts of hurricanes need to prepare by possibly taking action along known flood areas with the removal of people and perhaps longer-term solutions of dedicating those lands to uses other than living spaces.

This answer could go in many different directions based on whether you are inland or coastal and where you live. The best answer is to contact your local emergency managers for advice for your area.

Who is most at risk for financial and emotional distress from hurricanes?

The people most at risk for financial distress are:

• Those without insurance.
• Those living in mobile homes — simply due to the structure being more vulnerable to damage.
• Those without any savings to assist with the time in between disaster and the receipt of insurance funds.

The people at risk for emotional distress are likely those with higher levels of responsibilities — someone with children, animals, multiple properties, or multiple affected family members.

Emotional distress, however, can be a result of someone who might have been more vulnerable (dealing with stress, etc.) prior to the disaster and now the disaster has been a tipping point. Emotional distress is complicated because it can affect all of us for different reasons.

What are the three best resources for disaster relief?

1. Local emergency officials

2. The Red Cross

3. FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers

What are the top three ways to prepare for a severe hurricane?

1. Proactive behavior. Prior to the hurricane season, people should follow the advice of the National Hurricane Center and get prepared. Have a “hurricane kit.” Pay attention to local officials and, when an event is oncoming, prioritize your preparation. Start with securing energy sources (solar-powered devices are really becoming helpful), making sure you have food that does not require energy to prepare, and securing water supplies.

2. Then you have to secure the area. Make sure all outside materials are picked up and moved inside. Damages escalate when things become projectiles.

3. Only evacuate if told to do so or if experience tells you that your area will flood.

What are the three best ways to help those who were affected by a hurricane?

1. Provide use of energy.

2. Provide food.

3. Provide water.

If you are unable to come into the area, electronic payments can be very helpful to try and offset some of the costs. Venmo is very useful if people can get internet access — which is often available at Disaster Relief Centers.

How can local governments best prepare for increasingly intensifying hurricanes in the U.S.?

Identify places with the least amount of protection currently and prioritize those areas for enhanced protection. If we can protect more areas and more people, then the disaster impact is lessened and the state will recover more quickly.