CENSUS DISRUPTION
Natural disasters on the West Coast and along the Gulf Coast, exacerbated by the pandemic, threaten an accurate census as the deadline to count every person in the U.S. nears.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Already burdened by the coronavirus pandemic and a tightened deadline, the Census Bureau must now contend with several natural disasters as wildfires and hurricanes disrupt the final weeks of the nation's once-a-decade headcount.
The fires on the West Coast forced tens of thousands of people to flee homes in California and Oregon before they could be counted, and tens of thousands of others were uncounted in Louisiana communities hit hard last month by Hurricane Laura. Nearly 250,000 more households were uncounted in areas affected this week by Hurricane Sally.
The disasters add to the already laborious task of counting of every U.S. resident and increase the risk that the effort will miss people in some parts of the country.
“I can't project if Mother Nature is going to let us finish, but we are going to do the best we can,” said Al Fontenot, associate director of the Census Bureau, who has repeatedly said the bureau is on target to complete the count by a Sept. 30 deadline.
The disasters make it challenging or impossible for census takers to visit households that have not yet answered questionnaires. In major cities in California and Oregon, smoke from wildfires poses a health threat for census takers as they knock on doors.
“It's really smoky, and no one wants to open their doors because of the hazardous air. I gave up yesterday and do not plan to go out today unless it improves,” said a San Francisco census taker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear she could lose her job.
Officials in San Jose, California, are encouraging residents to respond to census questions online or by phone or mail.
“Frankly, it's not safe to be outside for more than a little bit,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said.
Because of the pandemic, the Census Bureau pushed back the deadline for finishing the count from the end of July to the end of October. Then the agency announced last month that the deadline would be changed to the end of September after the Republican-controlled Senate failed to pass a Census Bureau request for more time to turn in numbers used for redrawing congressional districts.
Some Democrats and activists believe the expedited schedule is politically motivated. Cities and civil rights groups are suing in federal court in San Jose, seeking an extra month.