Studies show that people displaced by hurricanes face fear and a long road to recovery

The trauma of natural disasters does not end when the storm or the wildfires subside, or even when communities are brought back together and homes are rebuilt.

For many people, being displaced by a disaster has long-term consequences that are often not clear or taken into account in disaster relief decisions.

We study public policy And response to disasters. To better understand the ongoing challenges disaster victims face – and how officials can respond more effectively – we conducted an analysis U.S. Census Bureau Surveys which asks people from across the country about their experiences of disaster displacement, as well as their stress and anxiety.

The results show how recovery from disasters such as hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and floods involves more than reconstruction, and how already vulnerable groups are most at risk of damage.

Millions of people are displaced every year

The Census Bureau Household pulse survey has been continuously collecting data on people’s social and economic experiences since 2020. Since late 2022, respondents have been specifically asked whether they have been displaced from their homes due to natural disasters.

Nearly 1.4% of the U.S. adult population reported being displaced in the past year, which equates to more than 3 million Americans. The most common cause of these displacements was hurricanes, which were responsible for nearly a third of the displacements.

Some groups were more likely to be displaced by a natural disaster than others.

The likelihood of displacement was above average for people with incomes less than $50,000 (1.9% of that population was displaced), people with disabilities (2.7%), African Americans (2.3%), and Latinos/ Hispanics (1.8%), as well as those who identified their sexual orientation as gay/lesbian, bisexual, or other, or said they did not know (2.2%).

The problems of displacement go beyond immediate evacuation. People may need to stay in temporary shelters such as stadiums, churches or disaster response areas. During this time, they are likely unable to work and earn an income. Others with nowhere else to go may return to their still-damaged homes after the storm.

Many people displaced by hurricanes were left without power for weeks or without access to adequate food, clean water, or other basic needs. After being displaced, 64% of adults said they had no electricity some or all of the time, 37% not enough food, 29% no drinking water, and 25% reported sometimes or always had unsanitary conditions.

Without sufficient clean water or electricity, people could be exposed to disease and other health risks, in addition to the stress of coping with the damage, displacement and uncertainty about the future.

About 36% of those displaced had lost their homes for more than a month. Nearly 16% of them indicate that they will never be able to return. Vulnerable groups, especially people of color and people with disabilities, were the least likely to return home.

Health consequences

Also being displaced piles on stress and causes instability. People displaced by storms may be bouncing between relatives’ homes, hotel rooms or even vehicles as they wait to return to a home that has been damaged. Maybe lost jobs or cannot find temporary accommodation nearby, causing feelings of uncertainty about the future.

People who feel like their safety or security is being threatened are more likely to experience mental stress And, possibly post-traumatic stress disorder. The effects can build up over time and cause long-term health consequences. Chronic stress can do that contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease and making rebuilding lives even more difficult as people struggle with more than just the damage around them.

The Household Pulse Survey also collects information about the symptoms of anxiety and depression that individuals experience.

Of those displaced by a hurricane, 38% report experiencing general anxiety, a much higher percentage than the 23% of the population who have not experienced displacement.

Similarly, 33% of those who were displaced experienced symptoms of a depressive disorder, compared to 18% of the population who did not experience displacement.

Better policies for long-term recovery

The study results underline the need to quickly restore water and power to homes after disasters. The results also indicate that priority is being given to communities that can least afford to be displaced.

Research has shown that low-income communities often wait the longest for power to be restored after hurricanes. The research shows that these communities and other disadvantaged groups also face higher levels of displacement following disasters.

In addition to immediate responses to a disaster, the research suggests that federal, state, and local policymakers will need to consider long-term support for both housing and health care recovery.

Currently the Federal Agency for Emergency Management focuses primarily on providing short-term disaster relief. The vast majority of disaster funding goes to evacuation, temporary shelter for displaced personsemergency supplies, insurance and rebuilding community infrastructure. While other federal programs provided reconstruction aid for private individualsin our opinion, they are not sufficiently focused on the long-term challenges.

Some ways the government could help include providing targeted cash transfers to ensure that vulnerable households can rebuildin which investments are made affordable and climate-proof homes that can reduce losses in future disasters, and finance long-term mental health care for disaster survivors for free or at reduced costs.

As the climate warms, extreme storms are becoming more common in every region of the country. This increases the risks and the need for policymakers to prepare communities to limit and then recover from disaster damage. We believe that rebuilding lives will require long-term support, both in building more resilient homes and infrastructure and in recovering from the trauma.

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