This week’s lesson discussed coastal vulnerability and its’ three dimensions; exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.  One dimension in particular, sensitivity, really caught my attention because so many variables play into how sensitive a community or individual is to coastal hazards.  PSU WC (2016) Module 10 Commentary discussed that “Demographic factors such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status can also play an important role in assessing sensitivity to coastal hazards”.  This made me immediately think of Hurricane Katrina and the numerous articles I read during the post-Katrina aftermath.

One article in the New York Times titled “Reports Reveal Katrina’s Impact on Population” discussed how the demographics of New Orleans changed post-Katrina.  The population has yet to reach pre-Katrina numbers, and also states how the “storm’s impact was felt most keenly by the poor” (Lyman, 2006).  The article discussed that the population had shifted and it was those with more financial resources that were able to stay or rebuild, while individuals that were already more sensitive due to things such as poverty level, were displaced with fewer options.  The effects of disaster appear to be amplified for those with limited resources.

Another article in the New York Times titled “Lessons in Resilience from New Orleans” discussed other issues that made the community especially sensitive to disasters.  Most of us have some concept of the geographic vulnerabilities and exposure that New Orleans has to storms and storm surge, but it was also the deficiencies in the emergency response protocols that made the community and residents sensitive to coastal disasters.  The response period, six weeks, was the longest in U.S. History, and emergency response plans were incomplete or insufficient for a storm and flooding of such magnitude.

I cannot even begin to imagine the magnitude of devastation that those that experienced Hurricane Katrina faced during the storm and in its aftermath.  I hope that our country and communities did take notice in the aftermath, and realize that more planning, preparation, and assessments of vulnerabilities are needed to help protect our people and communities from coastal events in the future.  One important aspect of planning for coastal hazards is identifying the sensitivities of your communities.  Ensuring that we identify those that are most sensitive and develop response plans to align with those needs will hopefully help reduce future impacts from coastal hazards.

References:

Lyman, R. (2006, June 06). Reports Reveal Katrina’s Impact on Population. Retrieved July 24, 2016, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/07/us/nationalspecial/07census.html

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2016).  Earth 107 Module 8 Commentary: Understanding and Assessing Coastal Vulnerabilities. Retrieved July 24, 2016. https://cms.psu.edu/section/content/default.asp?WCI=pgDisplay&WCU=CRSCNT&ENTRY_ID=404084F002F44F56AC62114B5A6F469F

Revkin, A. (2010, August 13). Lessons in Resilience From New Orleans. Retrieved July 24, 2016, from http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/13/lessons-in-resilience-from-new-orleans/?_r=0