Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13(2), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph13020239
Vulnerability of Coastal Communities from Storm Surge and Flood Disasters
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Jackson State University, 1400 Lynch Street, Jackson, MS 39217, USA
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Academic Editors: Mark Edberg, Barbara E. Hayes and Valerie Montgomery Rice
Received: 14 August 2015 / Revised: 4 February 2016 / Accepted: 14 February 2016 / Published: 19 February 2016
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proceedings from the 2014 Minority Health & Health Disparities Grantees’ Conference (MHHDGC))
Abstract
Disasters in the form of coastal storms and hurricanes can be very destructive. Preparing for anticipated effects of such disasters can help reduce the public health and economic burden. Identifying vulnerable population groups can help prioritize resources for the most needed communities. This paper presents a quantitative framework for vulnerability measurement that incorporates both socioeconomic and flood inundation vulnerability. The approach is demonstrated for three coastal communities in Mississippi with census tracts being the study unit. The vulnerability results are illustrated as thematic maps for easy usage by planners and emergency responders to assist in prioritizing their actions to vulnerable populations during storm surge and flood disasters. View Full-TextKeywords:
flood; vulnerability; climate change; storm surge; coastal communities
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Bathi, J.R.; Das, H.S. Vulnerability of Coastal Communities from Storm Surge and Flood Disasters. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2016, 13, 239.
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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health
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