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Hazard Experience, Geophysical Vulnerability, and Flood Risk Perceptions in a Postdisaster City, the Case of New Orleans

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  • Kevin Fox Gotham
  • Richard Campanella
  • Katie Lauve‐Moon
  • Bradford Powers

Abstract

This article investigates the determinants of flood risk perceptions in New Orleans, Louisiana (United States), a deltaic coastal city highly vulnerable to seasonal nuisance flooding and hurricane‐induced deluges and storm surges. Few studies have investigated the influence of hazard experience, geophysical vulnerability (hazard proximity), and risk perceptions in cities undergoing postdisaster recovery and rebuilding. We use ordinal logistic regression techniques to analyze experiential, geophysical, and sociodemographic variables derived from a survey of 384 residents in seven neighborhoods. We find that residents living in neighborhoods that flooded during Hurricane Katrina exhibit higher levels of perceived risk than those residents living in neighborhoods that did not flood. In addition, findings suggest that flood risk perception is positively associated with female gender, lower income, and direct flood experiences. In conclusion, we discuss the implications of these findings for theoretical and empirical research on environmental risk, flood risk communication strategies, and flood hazards planning.

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  • Kevin Fox Gotham & Richard Campanella & Katie Lauve‐Moon & Bradford Powers, 2018. "Hazard Experience, Geophysical Vulnerability, and Flood Risk Perceptions in a Postdisaster City, the Case of New Orleans," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(2), pages 345-356, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:riskan:v:38:y:2018:i:2:p:345-356
    DOI: 10.1111/risa.12830
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    3. Valentina Ferretti & Gilberto Montibeller, 2019. "An Integrated Framework for Environmental Multi‐Impact Spatial Risk Analysis," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 39(1), pages 257-273, January.
    4. Zeynep Altinay & Eric Rittmeyer & Lauren L. Morris & Margaret A. Reams, 2021. "Public risk salience of sea level rise in Louisiana, United States," Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, Springer;Association of Environmental Studies and Sciences, vol. 11(4), pages 523-536, December.
    5. Xilin Liu & Cheng Miao, 2021. "Analysis of the acceptable risk preferences of debris-flow disasters for three-category populations and their demographic characteristics in China," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 107(1), pages 971-990, May.
    6. Shui-Lien Chen & Hsiang-Ting Hsu & Richard Chinomona, 2023. "How Tourists’ Perceived Risk Affects Behavioral Intention through Crisis Communication in the Post-COVID-19 Era," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-18, February.
    7. Jason R. Holley & Katherine A. McComas & Catherine E. Lambert & Natalie P. Snider & Grace K. Tucker, 2022. "Responding to flood risk in Louisiana: the roles of place attachment, emotions, and location," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 113(1), pages 615-640, August.
    8. Anthony J. Vega & Paul W. Miller & Robert V. Rohli & Jason Heavilin, 2021. "Synoptic climatology of nuisance flooding along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, USA," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 105(2), pages 1281-1297, January.
    9. Shengnan Wu & Yu Lei & Wen Jin, 2022. "An Interdisciplinary Approach to Quantify the Human Disaster Risk Perception and Its Influence on the Population at Risk: A Case Study of Longchi Town, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(24), pages 1-15, December.

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