Recently Funded Research
The following is a list of forthcoming research projects from the Natural Hazards Center Quick Response Research Award Program. Within six months of award approval, researchers submit an abstract and 20 page double-spaced report detailing their preliminary findings. Completed reports are available on the Quick Response Reports page.
Quick Response Program Awardees
Disaster Debris Management and the Historic Maine Floods of December 2023
Julia Crowley, University of Missouri–Kansas City
Date Awarded: February 15, 2024
The severe storm and flooding that impacted Maine in December of 2023 generated some of the highest water levels in the state’s history. Debris management needs have posed challenges for the response and recovery phases. The research study aims to examine the impacts of pre-disaster debris management planning on the response and recovery phases, and the most significant debris management challenges. Snowball sampling will be used to recruit 18 emergency management personnel who worked on debris management for the severe storm and floods. Interviews will be recorded, transcribed, and coded to generate relevant themes on debris management.
Social-Wildfire Vulnerability Affecting Spanish-Speaking Populations in the Texas Wildland Urban Interface
Rodolfo Hernandez Perez, Texas Tech University
Raisa Marcela Ortiz Cardona, Texas Tech University
Kari Hines, Texas A&M Forest Service
Alexander Bregenzer, Spring Fire Department Harris County
Reilly Ruggiero, Texas Tech University
Date Awarded: October 24, 2024
This project aims to assess the increased vulnerability of Spanish-speaking and bilingual Hispanic-Latino communities in Texas Wildland-Urban Interfaces (WUIs) during a severe wildfire season. The study will use a bilingual (English-Spanish) survey to evaluate sociodemographic and cultural elements affecting wildfire preparedness, prevention, and mitigation within these communities. The survey is based on previous work funded by the Natural Hazards Center and integrates contemporary wildfire management, socioecological, and social vulnerability paradigms. This research will provide critical insights into wildfire risk and vulnerability for updating community protection plans and bilingual resources to the Texas Forest Service.
Special Call for Health Outcomes and Climate-Related Disaster Research
Ohio's 2024 Tornado Touchdown Impact on Mental Health Among Socio-Economically Challenged Communities
Amer Abukhalaf, Clemson University
Date Awarded: May 23, 2024
The rare breakout of tornadoes in Ohio between February and April 2024 has caused alarm among people in Franklin County that added to the mental health burden of the socioeconomically challenged communities in the county. Our research will employ a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews, to capture the complexity and heterogeneity of individual experiences. Quantitative data will provide statistical analyses of mental health indicators and socioeconomic variables, while qualitative insights will offer rich narratives and contextual understanding of the social and psychological dimensions of disaster recovery, which will help our team promote resilience and capacity-building initiatives.
Assessing Health and Environmental Impacts of 2023 Maui Wildfires on Asian Americans
Shinwoo Choi, Texas State University
Yong Je Kim, Lamar University
Date Awarded: December 4, 2023
In August 2023, a catastrophic wildfire engulfed Maui, Hawaii, taking 115 lives and destroying thousands of homes. The aftermath poses significant environmental challenges, including soil contamination and potential health risks. This research focuses on Asian American survivors, the largest ethnic minority in Maui County, investigating their health and mental well-being post-wildfire. It also examines the perspectives of healthcare providers regarding the impact of wildfire on soil contamination and health. Soil samples will be collected to assess contamination risks. The study seeks to illuminate the unique experiences of Asian American communities, contributing to disaster response and environmental conservation.
California Wildfire Smoke Events: Life Course Risk Perceptions and Mental Health Impacts
Kathleen Lynch, New York University
Alexis Merdjanoff, New York University
David Abramson, New York University
Date Awarded: August 20, 2024
The 2024 California wildfire season is anticipated to be one of the longest and most intense in state history. Wildfire smoke is not an acute exposure but a recurrent hazard which accumulates over time. Its fluctuation also leads to variation in threat perception and response, even within families. Using a dyadic interviewing approach, this project aims to examine the distinct mental health concerns, risk perceptions, and event related decision-making among two vulnerable but understudied age cohorts: young adults (18-34) and members of the ‘sandwich generation' (50-64), to inform age-tailored risk communication strategies for future smoke events.
Exploring Mental Health Impact of Hurricane Beryl on Minorities in Houston, Texas
Oluponmile Olonilua, Texas Southern University
John Aliu, University of Georgia
Date Awarded: October 22, 2024
This study investigates the immediate and enduring mental health impacts of Hurricane Beryl on minorities in the Third Ward and Fifth Ward areas of Houston. Using a mixed-methods approach, it examines how environmental hazards intersect with social vulnerabilities to affect mental well-being post-disaster. Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews explore stressors, barriers to mental health services, and culturally sensitive coping strategies. By addressing critical gaps in current literature, the research seeks to inform policy, enhance disaster preparedness and promote resilience in marginalized communities. This interdisciplinary study contributes to understanding disaster resilience and mental health, advocating for equitable interventions and community empowerment.
Nebraska Tornado Quick Response: Assessing Community Impacts and Evaluating Early Warnings
Sarah Elizabeth Scales, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Summer Woolsey, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Kristina Kintziger, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Rachael Birn, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Siddhi Munde, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Date Awarded: June 18, 2024
On April 26, 2024, a tornado outbreak affected communities in Nebraska and Iowa, including Washington and Douglas Counties in Nebraska. There has been little rapid response research that assess needs, mental and physical health impacts, and lived experiences of communities affected by tornadoes. Using an alternative rapid needs assessment methodology adapted for rural communities and community-based surveys, we will assess the acute needs of both urban and rural communities. Focus group interviews will be used to characterize early warning systems, and a protective action decision making framework will be used assess community engagement with and uptake of warnings.
Transportation as a Social Determinant of Health During Hurricane Idalia
Xiang Yan, University of Florida
Catherine Campbell, University of Florida
Shih-Kai Huang, Jacksonville State University
Xilei Zhao, University of Florida
Date Awarded: November 16, 2023
This project will survey and interview Florida residents impacted by Hurricane Idalia to understand the role of transportation as a social determinant of health during hurricanes. Specifically, a survey will be conducted to reveal how transportation factors (e.g., vehicle ownership, disability) constitute a major barrier for people to evacuate before the hurricane and to access healthcare and food throughout Hurricane Idalia’s impacts. The research team will also conduct interviews to understand how transportation-disadvantaged populations coped with healthcare/food access challenges during the hurricane as well as the role of transportation assistance in addressing their access needs.
Special Call for Proposals: FEMA Region 8
Climate Change Impacts on the Native American Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic of the Northern Great Plains
Shelby Ross, University of Colorado Boulder
Date Awarded: February 17, 2023
A mixed method approach will be used to distribute two surveys to invite feedback from the healthcare workers who provide services to Native American individuals who are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. The second survey invites feedback from all Native American adults in the Northern Great Plains. The collected data will undergo a descriptive statistical analysis. The surveys will place emphasis on understanding how Native American individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes—who are living in a reality of a diminishing land-based knowledge system under a changing climate—are experiencing climate change induced extreme weather events.
Quick Response Research Reports are based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF Award #1635593). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF or the Natural Hazards Center.