10 places in hurricanes’ harms way

People living in 10 largely rural counties in the Deep South and near the Gulf Coast are those most vulnerable to hurricanes, according to recent research by Direct Relief, a California-based non-profit organization.

The group looked at the frequency and intensity of hurricanes weighed against social vulnerability — factors such as poverty, access to social services, an aging population and higher mobility problems.

“The research looked at the likelihood that people would be overwhelmed by an event,” said Andrew Schroeder, Direct Relief ’s director of research and analysis.

Overall, the study looked at the communities’ ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from hurricanes.

Direct Relief, based in Goleta, Calif., provides medical assistance and supplies to people affected by poverty and natural disasters across the USA and in 72 countries.

The list was created “to help us understand where we need to be positioned for hurricane season,” Schroeder said.

“Hurricanes aren’t just natural disasters, they’re social phenomena, too,” he said.

The study findings are based on the past 10 years of hurricanes.

Surprisingly, the “top 10” counties are not along the coast, and many are actually well inland. This is because the people who live near the coast tend to be wealthier and are better able to prepare for the storms, Schroeder said. Inland counties in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana were areas that were most concerning.

Also, while coastal areas see major impacts from hurricanes, inland areas can also receive heavy rain that leads to flooding, high winds and tornadoes after the storm makes landfall.

The top 10 counties list mostly jibes with the three most hurricane-prone states in the country: Since 1851, the top three states for hurricane landfalls are Florida (114), Texas (63) and Louisiana (54), according the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami.