Hurricane Publications
This page contains many Natural Hazards Center-supported publications, which capture lessons learned about hurricane evacuations, storm impacts, and long-term recovery, among many other relevant topics. Many of the publications compiled below also include recommendations to reduce future harm. We hope the approaches and findings from this prior work can be used to inform the response and recovery from hurricanes, typhoons, and similar events unfolding nationally and globally. Please visit our Center News Story page for additional hurricanes resources.
Quick Response Research Award Program
Since 1986, the Natural Hazards Center has administered the Quick Response Research Award Program. This program, which is made possible with funding from the National Science Foundation, encourages the ethical collection of perishable data in the aftermath of disaster. Of all the hazards studied through this program, hurricanes are one of the most thoroughly researched. The following 84 Quick Response Research Reports examine historic hurricanes over the last four decades, with specific insights into hurricane warnings and evacuations, health impacts, considerations for recovery, and much more.
QR368 | Transportation as a Social Determinant of Health During Hurricane Idalia (2024)
Xiang Yan, Sara Garces, Shih-Kai Huang, Katelyn Sowell, Catherine Campbell, Shangkun Jiang, Eliana Duarte, and Xilei Zhao
QR344 | The Effect of COVID-19 Immunization on Evacuation Behavior During Hurricane Ida (2022)
Amy Polen, Jennifer Collins, Elizabeth Dunn, Stephen Murphy, Isabelle Jernigan, and Killian McSweeney
Additional Quick Response Hurricane Reports
QR327 | Lessons from Co-Occurring Disasters: COVID-19 and Eight Hurricanes (2021)
Alessandra Jerolleman, Shirley Laska, and Julie Torres
QR305 | Effects of Stress on Pregnancy: Outcomes After a Hurricane (2021)
Michaela Howells and Kelsey Needham Dancause
QR303 | To Remain or Relocate? Mobility Decisions of Homeowners Exposed to Recurrent Hurricanes (2020)
Kijin Seong and Clare Losey
QR295 | Significance of Secondary Infrastructure for Shelter Management in the Aftermath of Hurricane Michael (2019)
Juyeong Choi, Fehintola Sanusi, Mehmet Baran Ulak, Eren Erman Ozguven, and Tarek Abichou
QR293 | Stakeholder Values in Hurricane Michael: Understanding How Value Dynamics Contribute to Collaborative Decision Making in Disasters (2019)
Lu Zhang, Aishwarya Pathak, and Nazife Emel Ganapati
QR290 | Relocation, Repopulation, and Rising Seas: Monroe County, Florida, Following Hurricane Irma (2019)
Omur Damla Kuru
QR288 | Social Vulnerability and the Role of Puerto Rico’s Healthcare Workers After Hurricane Maria (2019)
Skye Niles and Santina Contreras
QR287 | Recovery of Tourism-Based Economies on the Texas Gulf Coast After Hurricane Harvey (2019)
Elyse Zavar, Brendan Lavy, and Ronald Hagelman III
QR285 | The Effects of Displacement on Puerto Rican K-12 Students in Florida after Hurricane Maria (2020)
Molly Hamm-Rodríguez and Astrid Sambolín Morales
QR283 | Hurricane Harvey, Mobile Home Parks, and Flood Risk (2018)
Andrew Rumbach and Esther Sullivan
QR282 | Small Scale Food Production and the Impact of Water Shortages in Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria: An Early Status Assessment (2018)
Alexa Dietrich and Adriana Garriga-López
QR279 | ¡Puerto Rico Se Levanta!: Hurricane María and Narratives of Struggle, Resilience, and Migration (2018)
Ariana Valle
QR278 | Interorganizational Coordination and a Vulnerable Population During Hurricane Irma in 2017 (2018)
Jungwon Yeo
QR276 | Preliminary Findings From the Saint Thomas Strong Study (2018)
Laura Pittman
QR274 | Hurricane Irma: Inmate Workers and Inmate All-Hazard Firefighters in Disasters (2018)
Carlee Purdum
QR273 | Assessment of Nutritional Quality of Household Emergency Food Distribution Post Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico (2018)
Uriyoán Colón-Ramos
QR272 | Radio Practices and Their Impacts During Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico (2018)
Bruno Takahashi, Yadira Nieves, and Manuel Chavez
QR271 | The Power of Social Media: How Online Connections Expedited Public Services Following Hurricane Harvey (2018)
Courtney Page-Tan
QR270 | Powerless and Vulnerable: Assessing the Capacity of Elderly Healthcare Services Following Hurricane Irma (2018)
Nicole Hutton and Michael Allen
QR268 | Gathering Places During the Short-Term Recovery Following Hurricane Harvey (2018)
Ronald Schumann and Mary Nelan
QR265 | Evacuation Behavior Measured at Time of Expected Hurricane Landfall: An Assessment of the Effects of Social Networks (2015)
Jennifer Collins, Robin Ersing, and Amy Polen
QR251 | Social Media Use in the Face of Disaster: An Exploration of Communication Practices Among Stakeholders Affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines (2014)
Bruno Takahashi and Edson Tandoc
QR246 | A Pilot Assessment of Psychological Factors Associated With Hurricane Sandy Preparedness in Post-Earthquake Haiti (2014)
Leah James
QR244 | Influence of Household Recovery Capacity and Urgency on Post-Disaster Relocation: A Case Study of The Rockaways, New York After Hurricane Sandy (2013)
Divya Chandrasekhar and Donovan Finn
QR243 | Impacts of Superstorm Sandy on New York City’s New Waterfront Parks (2013)
Rutherford Platt
QR242 | Resilience and Post-Disaster Relocation: A Study of New York's Home Buyout Plan in the Wake of Hurricane Sandy (2013)
Sherri Brokopp Binder
QR241 | Partnership Behavior in Disaster Relief Operations: A Case Study of the Response to Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey (2013)
John Coles and Jun Zhuang
QR240 | Querying Facility Management Teams: Document Preservation and Debris Removal for Cultural Collections (2013)
Paulette Hebert and Lori Schram
QR239 | The Effects of Hurricane Sandy on the Homeless in New Jersey (2013)
Marc Settembrino
QR238 | Assessing the Impacts of Hurricane Sandy on the Port of New York and New Jersey's Maritime Responders and Response Infrastructure (2013)
Tiffany Smythe
QR237 | Community Resiliency and Emergency Management Networks Following the 2012 Korean Typhoons (2013)
Kyujin Jung
QR229 | Explaining Hurricane Evacuation Failure: The Role of Social Factors as Modifiers (2012)
Jennifer Horney and Kristen Ricchetti-Masterson
QR211 | Examination of Prices for Goods and Services in the Response and Recovery Phases Following Hurricane Ike (2008)
Robert Schwartz and Stacy Muffet-Willett
QR210 | Pet Care Professionals' Preparedness for, Response to, and Utilization of Resources During Hurricane Gustav (2008)
Andrea Schumacher, Kathleen Sherman-Morris, Sheldon Drobot, and Karen McNeal
QR209 | Perceptions of Hurricane Destructiveness and Self-Reported Likelihood of Evacuation (2008)
Alan Stewart
QR208 | Differential Social Vulnerability and Response to Hurricane Dolly Across the U.S.-Mexico Border (2008)
Isabelle Ruin, Cedar League, Mary Hayden, Barry Goldsmith, and Jeral Estupiñán
QR205 | Hazard Warnings and Compliance With Evacuation Orders: The Case of Bangladesh's Cyclone Sidr (2008)
Bimal Kanti Paul
QR201 | Large Scale Rooftop Search and Rescue: The Experience of Hurricane Katrina (2008)
Matin Katirai and David M. Simpson
QR190 | Community Impacts of Hurricane Ivan: A Case Study of Orange Beach, Alabama (2006)
J. Steven Picou and Cecelia Martin
QR189 | The Emergency Management Response To Hurricane Katrina: As Told by the First Responders—
A Case Study of What Went Wrong and Recommendations for the Future (2006)
Henry W. Fischer, Kathryn Gregoire, John Scala, Lynn Letukas, Joseph Mellon, Scott Romine, and Danielle Turner
QR187 | Providing for Pets During Disasters, Part II: Animal Response Volunteers in Gonzales, Louisiana (2006)
Leslie Irvine
QR186 | Reconstructing Childhood: An Exploratory Study of Children in Hurricane Katrina (2006)
Lori Peek and Alice Fothergill
QR184 | Disaster Realities in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Revisiting the Looting Myth (2006)
Lauren Barsky, Joseph Trainor, and Manuel Torres
QR180 | Hurricane Katrina: GIS Response for a Major Metropolitan Area (2006)
Andrew Curtis, Jacqueline W. Mills, Jason K. Blackburn, and John C. Pine
QR179 | Examination of the American Red Cross and FEMA Following Hurricanes Charley and Ivan (2005)
Robert M. Schwartz
QR177 | Snowbirds and Senior Living Developments: An Analysis of Vulnerability Associated With Hurricane Charley (2005)
Burrell E. Montz and Graham A. Tobin
QR172 | Elderly Populations in Disasters: Recounting Evacuation Processes From Two Skilled-Care Facilities in Central Florida, August 2004 (2004)
Michelle Kuba, Alina Dorian, Sarah Kuljian, and Kimberley Shoaf
QR170 | Community Response to Hurricane Isabel: An Examination of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Organizations in Virginia (2004)
Mary E. Franke and David M. Simpson
QR168 | Collection of Satellite-Referenced Building Damage Information in the Aftermath Of Hurricane Charley (2004)
Beverley J. Adams, J. Arn Womble, Michael Z. Mio, John B. Turner, Kishor C. Mehta, and Shubharoop Ghosh
QR128 | South Carolina's Response to Hurricane Floyd (2000)
Kirstin Dow and Susan L. Cutter
QR127 | Hurricane Georges: A Multinational Study Examining Preparedness, Resource Loss, and Psychological Distress in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and the United States (2000)
David N. Sattler and Charles F. Kaiser
QR126 | Hurricane Floyd Flood Mapping Integrating Landsat 7 TM Satellite Imagery and DEM Data (2000)
Jeffrey D. Colby, Yong Wang, and Karen Mulcahy
QR124 | Field Evaluation of Hurricane Damage to the Water Resources, Tourism Infrastructure, and Emergency Response of San Salvador Island, Bahamas (2000)
Douglas W. Gamble
QR123 | 'There's a Big Wind a Comin': A Profile of Survival and the Culture of Response After Hurricane Mitch on Isla Guanaja, Honduras (2000)
Christopher L. Dyer and Gerald Krausse
QR122 | Natural Disaster Episode: Impacts, Emergency Response, and Health Effects of Hurricane Georges in the Gulf Coast (1999)
Francis O. Adeola
QR120 | Assessing "Practical Knowledge" of FEMA's Responsiveness and Effectiveness in the Aftermath of Hurricane Bonnie, in Wrightsville Beach and Topsail Island, North Carolina (1999)
Melissa L. Tollinger and Deborah Dixon
QR117 | Hurricane Georges: The Experience of the Media and Emergency Management on the Mississippi Gulf Coast (1999)
Henry W. Fischer III
QR115 | A Review of Relief: An Examination of the Response to Hurricane Georges in the Dominican Republic (1999)
David A. McEntire
QR114 | Effectiveness of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Applications in Flood Management During and After Hurricane Fran (1999)
Ute J. Dymon
QR112 | Impact of Hurricane Bonnie (August 1998): North Carolina and Virginia With Special Emphasis on Estuarine/Mainland Shores and a Note About Hurricane Georges, Alabama (1999)
David M. Bush
QR101 | Repeat Response to Hurricane Evacuation Orders (1997)
Kirstin Dow and Susan L. Cutter
QR84 | Impact of Hurricane Opal on the Florida/Alabama Coast (1996)
David M. Bush, Craig A. Webb, Robert S. Young, Bryan D. Johnson, and Graham M. Bates
QR82 | Early Response to Hurricane Marilyn in the U.S Virgin Islands (1996)
Betty Hearn Morrow and A. Kathleen Ragsdale
QR77 | Psychophysiological Indicators of PTSD Following Hurricane Iniki: The Multi-Sensory Interview (1995)
Kent D. Drescher and Francis R. Abueg
QR70 | Children of Iniki:
Effects of Evacuation and Intervention (1994)
Roger S. Hamada
QR67 | Hurricane Iniki:
Psychological Functioning Following Disaster (1994)
David N. Sattler and Charles Kaiser
QR63 | A Study of the Psychological Effects of Hurricane Andrew on an Elementary School Population (1993)
Jon A. Shaw, Brooks Applegate, Susan Tanner, Dorcus Perez, Eugene Rothe, Ana Campo-Bowen, and Benjamin B. Lahey
QR62 | The Psychological Effects of Hurricane Andrew on Elementary and Middle School Children (1993)
Russell T. Jones, Robert Frary, Phillippe Cunningham, and J. David Weddle
QR60 | Map Use During and After Hurricane Andrew (1993)
Ute J. Dymon
QR59 | Reconnaissance of South Florida to Assess Damages, Planned Responses, and Future Needs in the Commercial Fisheries Stemming From Hurricane Andrew (1993)
James R. McGoodwin and Christopher L. Dyer
QR58 | A Systems View of Emergency Response to Hurricane Andrew (1993)
John C. Pine
QR56 | The Role of the Aged in Community Recovery Following Hurricane Andrew (1993)
Elizabeth A. Guillette
QR55 | Preliminary Assessment of Damage to Engineered Structures Caused by Hurricane Andrew in Florida (1993)
Christopher Rojahn
QR45 | Psychological Sequela of Hurricane Hugo: An Application of the Conservation of Resources Model of Stress (1991)
Darlene L. Shaw, Pat Jarrell, John Freedy, and Cheryl Bene
QR44 | Building Code Enforcement Following Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina (1991)
Elliott Mittler
QR40 | Psychological Effects of Disaster on Children and their Families: Hurricane Hugo and the Loma Prieta Earthquake (1990)
Judith A. Boore, Gina Earle, and Lewis Aptekar
QR39 | Evacuation Decision Making and Public Response in Hurricane Hugo in South Carolina (1990)
Earl J. Baker
QR38 | Managing Reconstruction Along the South Carolina Coast: Preliminary Observations on the Implementation of the Beachfront Management Act Following Hurricane Hugo (1990)
Timothy Beatley
QR37 | Foundations and Breakaway Walls of Small Coastal Buildings in Hurricane Hugo (1989)
Spencer M. Rogers, JR
QR33 | Report on Trip to Charleston County, SC After Hurricane Hugo (1990)
Claire B. Rubin
QR12 | The Mass Media and Hurricane Disaster Alerts (1986)
John Ledingham and Lynne Masel-Walters
Weather Ready Research Award Program
The Natural Hazards Center—with support from the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—established the Weather Ready Research Award Program to promote knowledge and build a diverse cadre of weather ready researchers. The program has supported three research reports focused on hurricane warnings and evacuations, listed below.
Call 1: Weather Ready Research
WR9 | Risk Messaging During Syndemics: Hurricane Laura and COVID-19 (2022)
Lauren Clay, Alex Greer, Haley Murphy, and Hao-Che “Tristan" Wu
WR4 | Learning From Hurricane Laura’s Near Miss: Evacuation Decision-Making Under Uncertainty (2022)
David Retchless and Ashley Ross
Additional Weather Ready Research Hurricane Reports
WR3 | Household-Targeted Hurricane Warnings for Effective Evacuation (2022)
Shandge Gao, Yan Wang, Ryan Qi Wang, and Corene J. Matyas
Call 2: Weather Ready Research Instrument and Data Publication
The Natural Hazards Center—with supplemental funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—established the Public Health Disaster Research Award Program to support public health, social science, and interdisciplinary research that can improve public health interventions. The four reports below delve into some of the ripple effects of hurricanes on public health and public spaces.
Manyu Li and Theresa Wozencraft. (2021). "Flood/Hurricane Victims' Social, Community, and Psychological Experiences." DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-8q1f-wx13
Lisa Zottarelli, David Bugg, and Erin Rider. (2021). "Survey Instrument: Law Enforcement First Responder Experiences During and After a Large-Scale Hurricane Evacuation," in Law Enforcement First Responder Experiences During and After the Hurricane Rita Evacuation DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-ccq2-my26
Additional Research Instrument and Data Publications
Lauren Clay. (2021). "PRJ-3018: Hurricane Florence Food Environment Study." DesignSafe-CI. https://www.designsafe-ci.org/data/browser/public/designsafe.storage.published/PRJ-3018
Lauren Clay. (2021). "Data Collection Tools for Market Basket Assessment", in Hurricane Florence Food Environment Study. DesignSafe-CI.https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-18xj-z678
Lauren Clay. (2021). "Data Collection Tools for Interviews and Observations", in Hurricane Florence Food Environment Study. DesignSafe-CI.https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-7eh2-0j40
Lauren Clay. (2021). "Market Basket Assessment for all Waves", in Hurricane Florence Food Environment Study. DesignSafe-CI.https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-8ncj-ew49
Jennifer Henderson and Erik Nielsen. (2021). "PRJ-3179: Compound Wind and Water Hazards Embedded in Landfalling Hurricanes and Continental Convection." DesignSafe-CI. https://www.designsafe-ci.org/data/browser/public/designsafe.storage.published/PRJ-3179
Jennifer Henderson, Melissa Bica, Leysia Palen, Jennifer Spinney, Erik Nielsen, Joy Weinberg, Holly Obermeier, Ken Anderson, and Jennings Anderson. (2021). “Hurricane Florence Twitter Data,” in Compound Wind and Water Hazards Embedded in Landfalling Hurricanes and Continental Convection. DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-qy0d-wv59
Jennifer Henderson, Erik Nielsen, and Hannah Gartner. (2021). “Semi-Structured Interviews with National Weather Service Forecasters Impacted by Hurricane Harvey,” in Compound Wind and Water Hazards Embedded in Landfalling Hurricanes and Continental Convection. DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-1fb5-kn59
Jennifer Henderson, Erik Nielsen, Jennifer Spinney, Holly Obermeier, and Allie Mazurek, Leysia Palen, Ken Anderson, and Gerard Saez. (2021). “Hurricane Harvey Twitter Data,” in Compound Wind and Water Hazards Embedded in Landfalling Hurricanes and Continental Convection. DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-3rc2-qy38
Jennifer Henderson, Jennifer Spinney, Melissa Bica, and Hannah Gartner. (2021). “Semi-Structured Interviews with National Weather Service Forecasters Impacted by Hurricane Florence,” in Compound Wind and Water Hazards Embedded in Landfalling Hurricanes and Continental Convection. DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-x89q-y798
Jennifer Henderson, Jennifer Spinney, Erik Nielsen, and Melissa Bica. (2021). “Semi-Structured Interview Protocol,” in Compound Wind and Water Hazards Embedded in Landfalling Hurricanes and Continental Convection. DesignSafe-CI. https://doi.org/10.17603/ds2-vzpa-a735
Public Health Disaster Research Award Program
The Natural Hazards Center—with supplemental funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—established the Public Health Disaster Research Award Program to support public health, social science, and interdisciplinary research that can improve public health interventions.
Call 1: Research in U.S. Territories
PH14|Co-Designing a Participatory Community Mapping Method for Informal Sheltering in Puerto Rico (2021)
Jonathan Sury, Yiyuan Jasmine Qin, Robert Soden, Gabriela Quijano, and Yesenia Delgado Castillo
PH13 | Cascading Disasters, Gender, and Vulnerability in Southwestern Puerto Rico(2021)
Waleska Sanabria León, Jane Henrici, M. Gabriela Torres, Alitza Cardona, Anna Fairbairn, and Elizabeth Eaton
Additional Call 1 Hurricane Public Health Disaster Research Reports
PH10 | Exploring the Long-Term Impact of Cascading Disasters in the U.S. Virgin Islands on High School Student and Teacher Mental Health and Resilience (2021)
Leonard Huggins and Ted Serrant
Ivis Garcia, Divya Chandrasekhar, N. Emel Ganapati, Kevin Fagundo Ojeda, Jose E Velazquez-Diaz, Kaila Witkowski, and Pablo Jose Rivera Miranda
PH8| Frontline Government Workers: Assessing Post-Disaster Burnout and Quality of Life (2021)
Kula Francis, Nisha Clavier, and Kenny Hendrickson
PH7| Excess Mortality and Associated Risk Factors Related to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico (2021)
Kristen Cowan and Diego Zavala
PH6| Compound Hazards, Evacuations, and Shelter Choices: Implications for Public Health Practices in the Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (2021)
Jennifer Collins, Amy Polen, Elizabeth Dunn, Leslie Maas Cortes, Erik Ackerson, Janis Valmond, Ernesto Morales, and Delián Colón-Burgos
PH5| Relationships Between Distribution of Disaster Aid, Poverty, and Health in Puerto Rico (2021)
Alison Chopel, Antonio Fernós Sagebien, and Laura Gorbea Díaz
PH4| Real-Time Migration Tracking to Puerto Rico After Natural Hazard Events (2021)
Alejandro Arrieta, Shu-Ching Chen, Juan Pablo Sarmiento, and Richard Olson
PH3| When Nobody Came to Help Me: Protective Factors for College Students During Disasters in Puerto Rico (2021)
Maria L. Lara Hernandez, Félix A. López-Román, Elena Martínez-Torres, and Sol C. Molina-Parrilla
PH1| Photovoice and Cultural Competence in Disaster Recovery in St. Croix (2021)
Monique Constance-Huggins and Alexis Sharpe
Call 2: Strengthening Community Resilience in U.S. Territories
PH26 | Social Capital, Community Health Resilience, and Compounding Hazards in Corcovada, Puerto Rico (2022)
Anaís Roque, Sameer H. Shah, Fernando Tormos-Aponte, and Enid Quintana Torres
PH25 | The Public Health Implications of Abandoned Spaces in Post-Maria Puerto Rico (2022)
Michelle Alvarado, David Carrasquillo, Luis Gallardo, and Alison Chopel
Additional Call 2 Hurricane Public Health Disaster Research Reports
PH24 | Planning for Post-Disaster Needs of Women With Breast Cancer in Puerto Rico(2022) Kevin Fagundo-Ojeda, Ivis García, and Mabel Lassalle
PH21 | Impact of Infrastructure Disruptions on Puerto Rican Household Capabilities, Health, and Well-Being (2022) Susan Spierre Clark, Sara Peterson, Ralph Rivera-Gutiérrez, Andrea C. Zambrana-Rosario, and Michael Shelly
PH20 |Community-Based Organizations in Public Housing Resident Recovery in Puerto Rico (2022) Sayma Khajehei, Elizabeth Colón Rivera, Divya Chandrasekhar, and Ivis García
PH16 | The Use of Disaster Information and Communication Technology Among At-Risk Populations in U.S. Virgin Islands (2022)
Nitin Roy and Nisha Clavier
Call 3: Research in U.S. Territories, Tribal Areas, and Rural Communities
PH37 | Assessing Intra-Community Public Health Impacts from Compounding Food, Energy, and Water Insecurities (2023)
Anaís Delilah Roque, Enid Quintana, Sameer H. Shah, Mary Angelica Painter, Fernando Cuevas, and Fernando Tormos-Aponte
PH36 | Mapping Puerto Rican Student Vulnerability and Risk To Improve School Emergency Planning (2023)
Eileen V. Segarra-Alméstica, Yolanda Cordero, and Amílcar Vélez-Flores
Additional Call 3 Hurricane Public Health Disaster Research Reports
PH35 | Evacuation Decision-Making Post-Vaccine: Implications of Compound Hazards in U.S. Territories (2023)
Jennifer Collins, Elizabeth Dunn, Justin Hartnett, Leslie Maas Cortes, and Rashida Jones
PH34 | Steep Risks: Assessing Social Vulnerability to Landslides in Rural Puerto Rico (2023)
Jocelyn West, Luis Alexis Rodríguez-Cruz, and K. Stephen Hughes
PH32 | Assessing Impacts of Hurricane Maria for Promoting Healthcare Resilience in Puerto Rico (2023)
Pallab Mozumder, Linnette Rodríguez-Figueroa, Mayra Quiles-Miranda, Barsha Manandhar, Sisi Meng, and Nafisa Halim
PH29 | Risk and Health Communication During Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico and Hurricane Ian in Florida (2023)
Federico Subervi-Vélez, Sandra M. Fábregas-Troche, Mirelsa Modestti-González, Gary L. Kreps, and Hilda Patricia García-Cosavalente
Call 4: Research in U.S. Territories, Tribal Areas, and Rural Communities
PH39 | Enhancing Disaster Resilience and Support for Vulnerable Puerto Rican Students (2024)
Eileen V. Segarra-Alméstica, Indira Luciano Montalvo, Hilda Rivera Rodríguez, and Sylvia Martínez Mejías
PH38 | Municipal-Level Risk Communication Practices in Puerto Rico (2024)
Federico Subervi-Vélez, Sandra M. Fábregas-Troche, Mirelsa Modestti-González, and Gary L. Kreps
Public Health Community Engagement Briefs
Previous recipients of Public Health Disaster Research Awards are eligible to apply for Community Engagement Continuation Awards that support working with community partners to translate research findings into public health practice. The Community Engagement Briefs below describe how recipients of these awards engaged with partners to improve hurricane policy and practice.
CB5 | Participatory Budgeting: A Community-Led Intervention for Community Resilience to Disasters (2024) Anaís Delilah Roque, Enid Quintana, Edna Torres, Fernando Tormos-Aponte, Mary Angelica Painter, and Fernando Cuevas
CB3 | Improving Disaster Information and Communication Technology Solutions In Puerto Rico: Co-Designed Community-Based Tabletop Exercises (2023) Jasmine Yiyuan Qin, Wei-Ching Azury Lin, Pamela Silva Díaz, Natalia Arcila, Jonathan Sury, and Robert Soden
CB1 |Support for Frontline Government Workers At-Risk for Burnout in the U.S. Virgin Islands: The Coping With Burnout Webinar Series (2023) Kula A. Francis, Kenny A. Hendrickson, and Anna M. Clarke
Mitigation Matters Research Award Program
The Natural Hazards Center—with supplemental funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency—established the Mitigation Matters Research Award Program to provide funding for researchers focused on natural hazard mitigation and other forms of risk reduction. This program is designed to support mitigation research that reduces loss of life and property by lessening the impact of disasters. Please see below for two Mitigation Matters reports focused on reducing hurricane flood risk and encouraging hurricane and mitigation behaviors.
MM25 | Mitigating Homeowner Flood Risk After Harvey: An Assessment of Houston’s Home Repair and Elevation Programs (2025)
Ivis García, Zhihan Tao, Julia Orduña, Leslie Martínez-Román, and Windya Welideniya
View the Research Brief
MM5 | Risk Communication to Motivate Flood and Hurricane Risk Mitigation: Developing and Testing Social Norms and Self-Efficacy Messages (2021)
JungKyu Rhys Lim
View the Research Brief
Research Counts
The Research Counts series serves as a platform for hazards and disaster scholars to provide insights about research findings and the enduring lessons of disaster, as well as to raise new questions that are worthy of exploration. The pieces in the series are brief, drawn from a variety of disciplines, and intended for a broad audience. The twenty-two articles below focus on hurricane related topics and lessons learned about evacuation decision-making, conditions in storm shelters, and considerations for long-term recovery when people return home.
MacPherson-Krutsky, C. (2025). Evacuation Obstacles: Why Some People Remain in Harm's Way During Disasters. Research Counts, 2(29).
Collins, Jennifer and Polen, Amy (2022). COVID-19 vs. Hurricanes: Evacuation Risk Perception During a Pandemic. Research Counts, 2(22).
Additional Hurricane Research Counts Articles
Roque, A. D., Pijawka, D., and Wutich, A. (2020). Unity is Strength: Community Resilience in Puerto Rico After Hurricane Maria Research Counts, 2(16).
Bukvic, Anamaria 2020. Leaving the Shore: What Drives Decision-Making After Coastal Disasters. Research Counts, 2(15).
Hutton, Nicole and Michael Allen. 2019. Powering Through: Florida Shows the Pitfalls of Fast-Tracking Emergency Power Legislation. Research Counts, 2(4).
Abebe, Yared Abayneh, Neiler Medina Peña, and Zoran Vojinovic. 2018. Strengthening Sint Maarten: Lessons Learned after Hurricane Irma. Research Counts, 2(2).
Brokopp Binder, Sherri and Alex Greer. 2018. Mind the Gap: Reconciling Mitigation and Recovery in Home Buyout Programs. Research Counts, 2(1).
Hamideh, Sara. 2018. Intricate and Uneven: Housing Recovery in Coastal Communities Research Counts, 1(36).
Erikson, Kai. 2017. Some Lessons from Katrina Research Counts, 1(25).
Dietrich, Alexa, Adriana Garriga-López, and Aman Luthra. 2017. An Ongoing Disaster: Hurricane Maria’s Potential Effects on Public Health Research Counts, 1(23).
Trumbo, Craig. 2017. Do I Stay or Do I Go? Hurricane Risk Perception and Evacuation Behavior Research Counts, 1(20).
Browne, Katherine. 2017. Who Lives Here? How Understanding Culture Reduces Suffering, Speeds Recovery, and Supports Resilience Research Counts, 1(18).
Kroll-Smith, Steve, Pamela Jenkins, and Vern Baxter. 2017. Miss Katrina is Not Finished with Me: Acknowledging the Explanatory Overreach of Recovery Research Counts, 1(16).
Stough, Laura. 2017. What Comes After Hurricane Harvey for People with Disabilities? Restoring, Recovering, and Rebuilding Research Counts, 1(10).
Fussell, Elizabeth. 2017. Who Will Protect Recovery Workers after Hurricane Harvey? Research Counts, 1(5).
Tierney, Kathleen. 2017. There’s Something in the Water… Research Counts, 1(3).
Davis, Cassandra R., Sarah R. Cannon, Sarah C. Fuller, and Rex Long. 2019. On the Road to Routine: Disruption and Recovery After Hurricanes Research Counts, Special Collection on Children and Disasters. 3(SC9).
Fothergill, Alice and Lori Peek. 2019. Supporting Children in All the Spheres of Their Lives: Lessons from Katrina Research Counts, Special Collection on Children and Disasters. 3(SC10).
Merlo, K., Conen, K., Yusuf, J. E., Marshall, J., Behr, J., & Dunn, E. (2021). Hurricane Shelters and COVID-19: Protecting Workers' Emotional Well-Being Research Counts, Special Collection on Mass Sheltering and Disasters. 4(SC21).
King, Richard V., and Carol S. North. (2021). Mental Health Needs in Large-Scale Shelters: Lessons From Dallas Research Counts, Special Collection on Mass Sheltering and Disasters. 4(SC19).
Truong, Thanh Thuy, Shah, Asim, Goodman, Wayne K., Banu, Sophia, Salloum, Alison, Williams, Laurel, and Eric A. Storch. 2020. Mental Health Interventions in Shelters: Lessons from Hurricane Harvey Research Counts, Special Collection on Mass Sheltering and Disasters. 4(SC13).
Villarreal, M. (2024). Bearing the Burden: Disaster Recovery and Women of Mexican Research Counts, Special Collection on Mass Sheltering and Disasters. 6(SC1).
Our Scholarship
Researchers at the Natural Hazards Center and our collaborators have published many books, edited volumes, monographs, peer-reviewed journal articles, and book chapters. See below for a selection of hurricane-related reading and scholarship.
Books and Monographs
Erikson, Kai, and Lori Peek. 2022. The Continuing Storm: Learning from Katrina. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Fothergill, Alice, and Lori Peek. Children of Katrina. 2015. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Weber, Lynn, and Lori Peek, eds. 2012. Displaced: Life in the Katrina Diaspora. Austin: University of Texas Press.
Journal Articles
Merdjanoff, Alexis A., David M. Abramson, Rachael Piltch-Loeb, Patricia Findley, Lori Peek, Jaishree Beedasy, Yoon Soo Park, Jonathan Sury, and Gabriella Meltzer. 2021. “Examining the Dose-Response Relationship: Applying the Disaster Exposure Matrix to Understand the Mental Health Impacts of Hurricane Sandy.” Clinical Social Work Journal 50: 400-413. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10615-021-00814-y
Trumbo, Craig, Lori Peek, Michelle A. Meyer, Holly L. Marlatt, Eve Gruntfest, Brian McNoldy, and Wayne Schubert. 2016. “A Cognitive-Affective Scale for Hurricane Risk Perception.” Risk Analysis: An International Journal 36(12): 2233-2246. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.12575
Additional Hurricane Journal Articles
Zahran, Sammy, Lori Peek, Jeffrey Snodgrass, Stephan Weiler, and Lynn Hempel. 2013. “Abnormal Labor Outcomes as a Function of Maternal Exposure to a Catastrophic Hurricane Event during Pregnancy.” Natural Hazards 66(1): 61-76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-011-0065-5
Mando, Ahed M., Lori Peek, Lisa M. Brown, and Bellinda L. King-Kallimanis. 2011. “Hurricane Preparedness and Sheltering Preferences of Muslims Living in Florida.” Journal of Emergency Management 9(1): 51-64. https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2011.0046
Peek, Lori, Bridget Morrissey, and Holly Marlatt. 2011. “Disaster Hits Home: A Model of Displaced Family Adjustment after Hurricane Katrina.” Journal of Family Issues 32(10): 1371-1396. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X11412496
Trumbo, Craig, Michelle Lueck, Holly Marlatt, and Lori Peek. 2011. “The Effect of Proximity to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Subsequent Hurricane Outlook and Optimistic Bias.” Risk Analysis: An International Journal 31(12): 1907-1918. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2011.01633.x
Peek, Lori, and Krista Richardson. 2010. “In Their Own Words: Displaced Children’s Educational Recovery Needs after Hurricane Katrina.” Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness 4(3): S63-S70. https://doi.org/10.1001/dmp.2010.10060910
Tobin-Gurley, Jennifer, Lori Peek, and Jennifer Loomis. 2010. “Displaced Single Mothers in the Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: Resource Needs and Resource Acquisition.” International Journal of Mass Emergencies and Disasters 28(2): 170-206. https://doi.org/10.1177/028072701002800202
Zahran, Sammy, Jeffrey G. Snodgrass, Lori Peek, and Stephan Weiler. 2010. “Maternal Hurricane Exposure and Fetal Distress Risk.” Risk Analysis: An International Journal 30(10): 1590-1601. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.2010.01453.x
Peek, Lori, and Alice Fothergill. 2009. “Using Focus Groups: Lessons from Studying Daycare Centers, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina.” Qualitative Research 9(1): 31-59. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794108098029
Peek, Lori, and Alice Fothergill. 2008. “Displacement, Gender, and the Challenges of Parenting after Hurricane Katrina.” National Women’s Studies Association Journal 20(3): 69-105. https://doi.org/10.1353/ff.2008.a256897
Tierney, Kathleen. 2008. “Hurricane in New Orleans? Who Knew? Anticipating Katrina and Its Devastation.” Sociological Inquiry 78: 179-183. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-682X.2008.00233.x
Tierney, Kathleen J., Christine Bevc, and Erica Kuligowski. 2006. “Metaphors Matter: Disaster Myths, Media Frames, and Their Consequences in Hurricane Katrina.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 604(1): 57-81. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25097781
Webb, Gary R., Kathleen J. Tierney, and James M. Dahlhamer. 2003. “Predicting Long-Term Business Recovery from Disaster: A Comparison of the Loma Prieta Earthquake and Hurricane Andrew.” Environmental Hazards 4(2): 45-58. https://doi.org/10.3763/ehaz.2002.0405
Book Chapters
Peek, Lori, Jessica Austin, Elizabeth Bittel, Simone Domingue, and Melissa Villarreal. 2020. “Children Take Charge: Helping Behaviors and Organized Action among Young People after Hurricane Katrina.” Pp. 87-111 in Bottom-Up Responses to Crisis, edited by V. Storr and S. Haeffele. London: Palgrave Macmillan.https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-39312-0_6
Lueck, Michelle Meyer, and Lori Peek. 2012. “The Crude Awakening: Gulf Coast Residents Reflect on the BP Oil Spill and the 2010 Hurricane Season.” Pp. 159-180 in Black Beaches and Bayous: BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Disaster, edited by L. A. Eargle and A. M. Esmail. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
Additional Hurricane Book Chapters
Peek, Lori. 2012. “They Call it ‘Katrina Fatigue’: Displaced Families and Discrimination in Colorado.” Pp. 31-46 in Displaced: Life in the Katrina Diaspora, edited by L. Weber and L. Peek. Austin: University of Texas Press.https://doi.org/10.7560/735774-006
Tierney, Kathleen. 2012. “Critical Disjunctures: Disaster Research, Social Inequality, Gender, and Hurricane Katrina.” Pp. 245-258 in The Women of Katrina: How Gender, Race, and Class Matter in an American Disaster, edited by E. David and E. Enarson. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press.
Peek, Lori, and Alice Fothergill. 2009. “Parenting in the Wake of Disaster: Mothers and Fathers Respond to Hurricane Katrina.” Pp. 112-130 in Women, Gender, and Disaster: Global Issues and Initiatives, edited by E. Enarson and D. P. G. Chakrabarti. New Delhi: Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9788132108078.n9
Tierney, Kathleen. 2008. “Hurricane Katrina: Catastrophic Impacts and Alarming Lessons.” Pp. 119-136 in Risking House and Home: Disasters, Cities, Public Policy, edited by J. M. Quigley and L. A. Rosenthal. Berkeley: Berkeley Public Policy Press.
Tierney, Kathleen J. 2005. “Social Inequality, Hazards, and Disasters.” Pp. 109-128 in On Risk and Disaster: Lessons from Hurricane Katrina, edited by R. J. Daniels, D. F. Kettl, and H. Kunreuther. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.
Myers, Mary F. and Gilbert F. White. 2003. “Social Choice in Dealing with Hurricanes.” Pp. 141–53 in Hurricane! Coping with Disaster: Progress and Challenges Since Galveston, 1900, Vol. 55, edited by R. Simpson, R. Anthes, M. Garstang, and J. Simpson. Washington, DC: American Geophysical Union.