Adjustments in Business Operations during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Analysis of Natural and Cultural Resource Sites in Texas

This research expands the theoretical concept of human adjustment to floods established by Gilbert F. White and incorporates his adjustment concept to examine the range of adjustments in business operations adopted by Texas' natural and/or cultural resources sites during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. This mixed-methods study consisted of an online survey with a follow-up semi-structured phone interview. The survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the interview data was inductively coded for thematic analysis as well as quantitative and qualitative content analyses. Specifically, this study identifies the adjustment measures undertaken by these entities to maintain business operations while reducing the virus spread; analyses the direct and indirect factors influencing adjustment measures; examines new business opportunities that emerged from these adjustments; and evaluates whether the impact of COVID-19 on these entities varied in terms of entity characteristics. Findings indicate that cultural and/or natural resource sites implemented adjustments to maintain their fiscal stability and/or to protect human health; these serve as direct underlying motivating factors for these entities. To support these direct measures, indirect factors influenced the operations thus required adjustments such as staffing, volunteers, technology, funding, and donations. Additionally, new opportunities in business practices emerged while implementing …
Date: August 2022
Creator: Tamima, Salvesila
System: The UNT Digital Library
Utilization of Telemedicine by People with Chronic Health Conditions during the COVID-19 Pandemic (open access)

Utilization of Telemedicine by People with Chronic Health Conditions during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study sought to better understand the experiences of individuals with a chronic health condition utilizing telemedicine during the first twelve months of the COVID-19 pandemic. To do this, an online survey was advertised in two private Facebook support groups for individuals with adrenal insufficiency; a chronic health condition that requires frequent communication with healthcare providers. The survey consisted primarily of closed-response questions which examined the demographic data of respondents, their access to healthcare providers, their comfort levels accessing healthcare providers, and the number of times individuals sought healthcare during the first twelve months of the COVID-19 pandemic to try and predict their preference for telemedicine and in-person healthcare visits going forward. Additionally, the survey included open-response questions which allowed for respondents to describe their experience utilizing telemedicine during the first twelve months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most respondents described their use of telemedicine as being positive but have indicated there are some health circumstances in which telemedicine may not be the best option for them. Additionally, findings indicate that individual's comfort level in visiting their healthcare providers in-person during that first year of the COVID-19 pandemic is a significant predictor of an individual's preference for telehealth. This gives future …
Date: August 2022
Creator: Barker, Tori Saige
System: The UNT Digital Library
Cultural Elements in Disaster: A Case Study on the Sewol Ferry Tragedy in South Korea (open access)

Cultural Elements in Disaster: A Case Study on the Sewol Ferry Tragedy in South Korea

On April 16, 2014 the Sewol Ferry became one of the worst maritime disasters in South Korea with the loss of 304 passenger, the majority being high school students. South Korea is a collectivist culture, structured as a hierarchical system that teaches their students and children to always respect, listen, and trust authority figures especially in dangerous situations. This study explores how collectivist cultural elements impacted the response of the Sewol Ferry. By examining the timeline of the disaster through interviews, documentaries, news articles and media; this thesis offers insight into what happened that day by providing perspectives from the rescue crew, government officials, survivors, volunteers, and family members of those who died. The analysis showed that in collectivist culture, children and students are taught to trust and listen to authority figures when in dangerous situations, however because of the Sewol disasters, the culture of adhering to the hierarchical systems started to collapse. Students who survived stated that they no longer can trust and respect adults after the incident along with family members of the students who passed away and the public. Also, the government withheld information and failed to protect the children aboard the ferry, because they didn't want …
Date: July 2023
Creator: Vu, Julia PhuongNguyen H.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Household Displacement after Hurricane Harvey: Decisions, Destination Choice, and Displacement Patterns (open access)

Household Displacement after Hurricane Harvey: Decisions, Destination Choice, and Displacement Patterns

The thesis examines post-event displacement of households in the year following Hurricane Harvey. Using data gathered from a three-page mail survey conducted approximately 1-year after the storm, this study examines two primary research objectives. First this thesis aims to identify variables that predict displacement or non-displacement after the disaster. Second, this study explores patterns in the destination and duration of displaced households following Hurricane Harvey. Logistic regression analyses were used to examine the extent to which household composition characteristics and level of damage sustained during Hurricane Harvey predicted post-disaster displacement. Next, independent sample t-tests and descriptive statistical analyses were used to identify patterns in the destination of post-event relocations. Research findings indicate in the overall binary logistic regression model that after Hurricane Harvey, being White, level of home damage, wind damage, and number of days a member of the household returned home post-Harvey increased the likelihood of a household being displaced. Analysis of the survey responses also indicated that many households made multiple moves following Hurricane Harvey and specifically, displaced households were more likely to stay with a friend or relative. Additionally, this study found that with each additional relocation, the duration of stay at each destination increased while the …
Date: July 2023
Creator: Sauceda, Miranda
System: The UNT Digital Library
Experience Effects on Risk Perception and Protective Action Decision Making when Facing a Rare Tornado Threat (open access)

Experience Effects on Risk Perception and Protective Action Decision Making when Facing a Rare Tornado Threat

Damaging tornadoes are possible in all U.S. regions beyond the traditionally recognized "tornado alleys" in the southern plains and mid-south. Hence, this research examines how study participants respond to rare tornado events. Specifically, how disaster experiences affect risk perceptions and protective actions when facing a rare tornado event. This study used the protective action decision model (PADM) as the theoretical lens to investigate this issue. The PADM shows that personal characteristics, including personal disaster experience, could affect risk perceptions and how protective action decisions are made. This study applies the theory by recruiting 136 human subjects from the state of Washington to participate in a social experiment. The participants take part in a study that includes hypothetical tornado scenarios, ranging from thunderstorm warning to a tornado emergency then answering questions regarding the presented scenarios. Findings suggest that disaster experience and demographics influence how people perceive and respond to tornado disasters. Overall, people with direct and indirect tornado experiences showed significantly lower risk perceptions in the early stages of the threat when compared with those without any tornado experiences. Their tornado risk perceptions later increased when the threats were higher, and they tended to be more complacent regarding protective actions. This …
Date: May 2023
Creator: Stander, Barend
System: The UNT Digital Library
Social Media Usage among First Responders to Hurricane Harvey (open access)

Social Media Usage among First Responders to Hurricane Harvey

Social media plays an important role during multiple phases of a disaster. While it is widely known that citizens turn to social media during disasters to gain information and send help requests, there is a significant gap in our knowledge of how, or if, first responders use social media to conduct disaster response operations. To help address this gap this study employed qualitative, semi-structured interviews with a sample of first responders (N = 20) who were deployed to Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The interviews sought to gain a better understanding of how social media was used to conduct response operations and identify both limitations and advantages of social media as perceived by first responders. Through a systematic coding process the analysis identified four themes related to social media usage among first responders to disasters: (1) more than just Twitter; (2) rumor has it; (3) one size does not fit all; and (4) timing is everything. The findings of this research highlight the importance of social media for both organizations and individuals involved in responding to disasters.
Date: May 2021
Creator: Spinuzzi, Lacey Cook
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Role of Faith-Based Congregations during Disaster Response and Recovery: A Case Study of Katy, Texas (open access)

The Role of Faith-Based Congregations during Disaster Response and Recovery: A Case Study of Katy, Texas

When governments are unable or unwilling to provide necessary relief to communities, local faith-based congregations (FBCs) step in and fill the gap. Though shown to provide for so many needs following disaster, FBCs have largely been left out of the institutional emergency management cycle. The aim of this study was to explore the role of FBCs in the disaster response and recovery process and investigate how recovery impacts FBCs. The primary objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of FBCs and how to better integrate them into the formal emergency management process.The main questions were as follows: First, what is the role of FBCs during the disaster recovery process? Second, how do FBCs change (temporarily and permanently) during disaster recovery, and what factors may promote or inhibit change? To answer these questions, qualitative semistructured interviews were held to develop a case study of Katy, Texas and its recovery from Hurricane Harvey of 2017. The applied and conceptual implications resulting from this study, which apply to FBCs, researchers, emergency managers, and policy makers, highlight the opportunity to better incorporate FBCs formally into emergency management practices.
Date: December 2020
Creator: Elliott, Julie R
System: The UNT Digital Library
Protective Action Decision-Making during the 2019 Dallas Tornado (open access)

Protective Action Decision-Making during the 2019 Dallas Tornado

The 2019 Dallas Tornado struck a densely populated area, was the costliest tornado in Texas history, and had minimal warning lead time, yet there were no serious injuries or fatalities. To understand why, this study examines individuals' decision-making processes during this tornado using the protective action decision model (PADM). Specifically, it investigates the factors affecting threat belief and evaluation, the facilitators and impediments to protective action, and the effects on future risk perception and hazard adjustment measures. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 23 survivors to explore their experiences and decision-making processes during this tornado. Interviews were analyzed through inductive coding and a constant comparative approach. Key findings of this study suggest that clear and direct warning messages, coupled with rapid, heuristic-driven reactions, can overcome the impediment of a short-fuse warning time and motivate those at risk to take protective action. Additionally, this study identifies condominium owners as a housing population with unique needs and impediments in the tornado recovery process. Furthermore, results illustrate how the hazard scenario and contemporary technological culture nuance protective action decision-making and future hazard adjustment measures.
Date: August 2021
Creator: Huether, Graham R.
System: The UNT Digital Library
"It Seems Like It's Never Going to End": The Experiences of Those Living in Damaged Dwellings Following Hurricane Sandy (open access)

"It Seems Like It's Never Going to End": The Experiences of Those Living in Damaged Dwellings Following Hurricane Sandy

Where people go between evacuation and recovery remains an understudied aspect of disaster research. Whether experiencing multiple displacements, permanent displacement, or undergoing recovery in a damaged dwelling, the spatial and temporal dimensions of disaster displacement can have direct impacts on the recovery experiences of survivors. Pulling from focus group data gathered in 2017 from Hurricane Sandy survivors in New Jersey, this qualitative research focuses on the experiences of those who recovered in-situ, or within their damaged dwelling following the storm, and the various ways this non-displacement impacted their recovery. A content analysis following a grounded theory approach produced the emergent themes of the in-situ experience, including: a lack of suitable shelter, an exposure to secondary hazards, and an inability to achieve satisfactory emotional recovery. This study contributes to the growing body of literature surrounding recovery experiences, and it introduces valuable insights into the challenges that survivors face while recovering in-situ.
Date: May 2021
Creator: Wolfe, Rachel Suzanne
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Decision-Making Process of Transitioning to a Regenerative Agricultural System: How Disaster Resilience Fits In (open access)

The Decision-Making Process of Transitioning to a Regenerative Agricultural System: How Disaster Resilience Fits In

Regenerative agriculture, a soil health focused alternative to conventional agriculture, has been increasingly popular among producers and consumers for its ability to produce nourishing food while also prioritizing the health of the environment. The practices used within this style of farming and ranching also have benefits that make operations more resilient to various agricultural hazards. Few studies have addressed the role of resiliency in the transition process to regenerative agriculture. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of disaster resilience in the decision-making process farmers and ranchers use as they transition to regenerative agricultural practices. Drawing from qualitative, semi-structured interviews with Texas ranchers that use regenerative methods, four major themes were found. First, climate related hazards are a recurring issue because agricultural operations are continually threatened by the same hazards. Next, the food system is in dire need of change, as producers recognize a major problem in the food system, and it is leading to a food insecure future. Also prevalent, disaster resilience is a built-in benefit because regenerative practices result in the creation of systems that build resilience. Finally, learning opportunities are expanding as an increased interest in regenerative agriculture is providing more opportunities for both …
Date: August 2022
Creator: Boyle, Cassidy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Understanding the Floodplain Administrator: Measuring and Analyzing Perceived Competence with Implications for Training (open access)

Understanding the Floodplain Administrator: Measuring and Analyzing Perceived Competence with Implications for Training

Utilizing survey data gathered from local local level floodplain administrators (FPAs) operating within Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 6, this study provides a more nuanced understanding of perceived competency among FPAs across key floodplain management topics through the use of a principal component analysis (PCA). PCA identified six distinct components related to perceived competency among FPAs including; Modification and Update Process, General Knowledge, Grants and Programs, Analysis, Development and Real Estate, and Administration and Outreach. The study then employed regression analyses to identify organizational and individual level characteristics that predict perceived competency. Data analyses identified several organizational variables as significant positive predictors of perceived competency including working within an urban community, full-time job status and overall workload percentage dedicated to floodplain management. Additionally, several individual characteristics such as educational attainment, professional certification, previous disaster experience, and years of experience working as an FPA were also identified as significant positive predictors of perceived competency. Based on these findings the study makes several recommendations about improvements to training and educational materials for practitioners and students.
Date: August 2022
Creator: Keys, Chad A
System: The UNT Digital Library
Understanding the Hazard Adjustments and Risk Perceptions of Stakeholders in El Reno, Oklahoma (open access)

Understanding the Hazard Adjustments and Risk Perceptions of Stakeholders in El Reno, Oklahoma

This qualitative study utilized the protective action decision model to explore the risk perceptions and hazard adjustments to the earthquake risk of residents in El Reno, Oklahoma.
Date: May 2022
Creator: Smith, Jeremy Austin
System: The UNT Digital Library

Divided-Tenure, Divided Recovery: How Policy and Land Tenure Shape Disaster Recovery for Mobile Homeowners

People who live in mobile homes have heightened vulnerability to disasters, due in part to mobile homes increasingly occupying high-hazard risk lands and the precarious ownership status known as divided-tenure. Divided-tenure is when an individual owns a mobile home and rents the land underneath. To identify the challenges associated with divided-tenure and disaster recovery from a policy perspective, this study analyzed the content of key HUD policies and performed a comparative policy analysis of purchase opportunity laws (requirements of landowners to give mobile homeowners an opportunity to purchase the property their home resides on) in three states: California, Florida, and New York. Content analysis indicated few direct references to mobile homes. Inconsistencies and confusing messaging were found in the existing federal guidance. The lack of consistent terminology and guidance on addressing divided-tenure, limits mobile homeowner's options for disaster recovery, including eligibility for federal disaster aid and potentially participation in relocation or buyout programs. The three selected states' purchase opportunity laws reviewed in this study were rated as weak. Policies lacked alignment with federal documents and opportunities for mobile homeowners were difficult to navigate. A pathway to land ownership could give mobile homeowners more control over their disaster recovery options, but …
Date: August 2021
Creator: Warren, Robyn (Robyn C.)
System: The UNT Digital Library
Comparison of Neighborhood Demographics and Post-Buyout Land Use Development in Harris County, Texas, USA (open access)

Comparison of Neighborhood Demographics and Post-Buyout Land Use Development in Harris County, Texas, USA

Recent research suggests that race and ethnicity influence post-buyout land management in Harris County, Texas, yet lacked systematic empirical evidence to fully understand the relationship between management and demographics. To address this gap, this study analyzes post-buyout land use management practices and compares them with the socio-economic characteristics of the adjacent neighborhood at the block level in Harris County, Texas, an area with a long buyout history. I first identified post-buyout land use management practices in Harris County through county records and photo documentation of approximately 2000 buyout sites through fieldwork from 2017-2022. Second, using Ode and colleagues' framework for identifying visual characteristics on the landscape, I developed an index and evaluated post-buyout land use management practices for aesthetics, utility, and function. Finally, I spatially analyzed the socio-demographic composition of buyout neighborhoods using U.S. Census American Community Survey 5-year data (2017-2021) and compared it with post-buyout land use management practices in ArcGIS. From this spatial analysis, I identified differences in post-buyout land management that homeownership status, race, and ethnicity affected post-buyout land management. Most buyout properties in Harris County are managed as mowed, vacant lots regardless of socio-demographics; however, litter and debris were more prominent in predominantly Black neighborhoods. Of …
Date: July 2023
Creator: Niazi, Sumaira
System: The UNT Digital Library