Using Socio-Demographic Data to Re-Center Flood Resilience Efforts
In a new co-authored, and open-access paper published in the MDPI Sustainability journal, our co-founders, Dr. Beth Tellman and Bessie Schwarz, conducted a nationwide analysis on how socio-demographics dictate the extremity of flood fatalities and property damage.
They found that if a large flood hit the entire US at the same time, the counties that would undergo the worst relative flood damage have higher proportions of African-American, Native American, and Hispanic populations that are below the poverty line.
There is a long list of outside factors that contribute to the disproportionate impact of flood damage. Increased flood exposure due to more accessible housing available in floodplains. Systematic underinvestment in flood mitigation structures. Institutional racism and bias that has left many Native American communities off FEMA flood maps and, in turn, without flood insurance.
As climate change accelerates, climate-vulnerable communities will only be at higher risk. With a better understanding of the relationship between socio-demographics and flood impacts, we can start to address gaps in protection — beginning with re-centering the most at-risk populations when shaping policy, reform, and protections.
The full academic journal article and research is by co-authors Dr. Beth Tellman (Cloud to Street, Columbia University), Dr. Cody Schank (Dell EMC), Dr. Peter Howe (Utah State University) Dr, Alex de Sherbinin (Columbia University), and Bessie Schwarz (Cloud to Street). Read it here.
By Maddy Ryan, Operations and Communications Associate
