UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Bond, Jonathan T.
Dept./Program:
Community Development and Applied Economics
Year:
2013
Degree:
MS
Abstract:
Vermonters are somewhat well conditioned for the seasonally predicable natural hazards such as severe winter storms and the expected spring flooding. However, events in recent years, especially 2011, suggest that Vermont is experiencing increasingly frequent and more severe natural hazards. Human-made hazards also dot any developed landscape, and Vermont is no different from its neighboring states in this regard. While a specific event might be unexpected, an all-hazard approach to planning and preparation is needed. Less understood are the specific actions that are taken by residents to prepare for disaster in Vermont. This need for preparation was highlighted in spring and fall of 2011. The state experienced significant flooding events in the spring of 2011, and in the late summer of 2011 the state experienced its largest natural disaster since the statewide flooding of 1927 in the form of Tropical Storm Irene.
The first article in this thesis examines a specific population within Vermont, mobile home park residents. Mobile home parks provide critical affordable housing in the state, but they also are home to a population that is more vulnerable to disasters when they occur due to the structural characteristics of the housing itself and the socioeconomic characteristics of the residents. This research explores the question of disaster preparedness by this group compared to the steps taken by the rest of the sate. Using Tobit regression analysis, significant variables influencing the number of steps likely to be taken are the household size, the number of years lived in Vermont, gender, and the presence of a health condition that would be a concern in a disaster event. Whether or not a respondent lived in a mobile home park provided no statistically significant predictive value on the number of steps a household takes to prepare for disaster.
The second article explores the difference in disaster preparedness responses from two statewide surveys; the first conducted in winter of 2011 prior to the spring flooding and Tropical Storm Irene and the second during the winter of 2012. This research focuses on describing the household actions and perceptions of disasters before and after disasters. The research finds some significant relationships between individual steps households have taken to prepare for disaster and whether the survey was administered before or after the natural disasters occurring in 2011. There were also significant differences in the motivations of those who reported at least planning to prepare for a disaster event and when the survey was taken. While the research is not able to provide resolution or identify which natural disasters might have had a major impact, it does provide details of what Vermonters are doing before and after experiencing natural hazards and provides insight into the steps that emergency planners can take to improve preparedness at the household level.
The first article in this thesis examines a specific population within Vermont, mobile home park residents. Mobile home parks provide critical affordable housing in the state, but they also are home to a population that is more vulnerable to disasters when they occur due to the structural characteristics of the housing itself and the socioeconomic characteristics of the residents. This research explores the question of disaster preparedness by this group compared to the steps taken by the rest of the sate. Using Tobit regression analysis, significant variables influencing the number of steps likely to be taken are the household size, the number of years lived in Vermont, gender, and the presence of a health condition that would be a concern in a disaster event. Whether or not a respondent lived in a mobile home park provided no statistically significant predictive value on the number of steps a household takes to prepare for disaster.
The second article explores the difference in disaster preparedness responses from two statewide surveys; the first conducted in winter of 2011 prior to the spring flooding and Tropical Storm Irene and the second during the winter of 2012. This research focuses on describing the household actions and perceptions of disasters before and after disasters. The research finds some significant relationships between individual steps households have taken to prepare for disaster and whether the survey was administered before or after the natural disasters occurring in 2011. There were also significant differences in the motivations of those who reported at least planning to prepare for a disaster event and when the survey was taken. While the research is not able to provide resolution or identify which natural disasters might have had a major impact, it does provide details of what Vermonters are doing before and after experiencing natural hazards and provides insight into the steps that emergency planners can take to improve preparedness at the household level.