Examining relationships between traditional vulnerability data proxies and hurricane risk perception indicators

Development, social processes, cultures, beliefs, risk perceptions, and attitudes contribute to spatial variations in vulnerability. Risk perceptions directly and indirectly affect how individuals react to and cope with risks, which can affect both pre-disaster vulnerability and post-disaster recovery. Risk perceptions influence how people develop and implement hazard mitigation and adaptation strategies to address risks before a disaster occurs. Understanding how individuals develop risk perceptions and act on them in response to hazards can provide information about existing public risk perception that is essential for the development and implementation of successful mitigation strategies. This paper presents a methodology for identifying and measuring the influence and interdependence of risk perception indicators on vulnerability at the local scale, using Sarasota County, FL as a case study. We use contingency tables to identify interdependence between categorical demographic and risk perception variables and determine ways in which significant pairings support existing literature on risk-reduction behaviours in vulnerable populations, or ways in which this information may be specific to Sarasota County, FL. Results suggest that interdependence exists between risk perceptions and demographics, but the degree of interdependence varies across specific variables, including presence of dependent populations (e.g., children under the age of 5) and duration of residency. Decision makers can use this information to identify non-traditional vulnerability indicators that influence preparation and evacuation behaviour and target customized risk communication to those populations. This information can also help decision makers identify and address attitudes or social processes that cause unequal access to information or risk reduction/mitigation resources in individuals.