"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
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
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
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