Dr. David A. Padgett Director
Geographic Information Sciences Laboratory
Tennessee State University
Ms. Nia Foderingham BS, MBA, MSPH, MD
Meharry Medical College
Geographic Information Systems-based Assessment of Urban Community Vulnerability
to Extreme Weather Events
Hurricane Katrina
New Orleans, Louisiana
August 29, 2005
Exposed inner-city populations’ increased
vulnerability to extreme weather
events.
Nashville’s 37208 Zip Code Area: A potentially vulnerable population
•Approximately 93% of the community is African American.
•Among the 9,945 occupied households in the area, 7.4% rely on public transportation as their way to work (the Nashville-Davidson County average is about 2.0%)
•16.5% have no vehicles available
•66% of residents live at or below the poverty level.
Source: U.S. Census
Mapping Nashville's Red Cross Emergency Shelters with Geospatial Technology: A Pearl-Cohn High School and TSU Community Engagement Partnership
Pearl Cohn High School
TSU Pilot Center for Academic Excellence in Intelligence Studies
TSU Geographic Information Sciences Laboratory
During the 2008-2009 academic year Tennessee State University (TSU) students enrolled in two service learning courses, Weather & Climate (GEOG 3500) and Urban Geography (GEOG 4850), exposed Pearl-Cohn High School students to data and information related to inner-city emergency preparedness and response.
The TSU volunteers assisted their Pearl-Cohn mentees in using geographical information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) to map locations of Nashville Red Cross emergency shelters.
The Pearl-Cohn students were enrolled in Mrs. Debbie Hirsch’s Technology Class. The project is funded by a State Farm Good Neighbor Service Learning Grant and supported in part by the TSU Pilot Center for Academic Excellence in Intelligence Studies.
TSU Weather & Climate (GEOG 3500) students introduce Pearl-Cohn High School students to the social and physical dynamics of hurricanes impacting the lives of vulnerable urban populations via the “Teaching the Levees” curriculum. The multi-disciplinary learning modules are based upon Spike Lee’s film “When the Levees Broke,” and is cost-free for teachers.
Pearl-Cohn High School students are trained in GIS by TSU undergraduate students using learning modules developed by the National Center for Rural STEM Education Outreach – James Madison University – http://www.isat.jmu.edu/stem/
Spring 2009 – Nashville Red Cross Shelters – “Raw Data”
Pearl Cohn Students Individually Create Excel Spreadsheets from Shelter List
Students’ Excel Spreadsheets Combined to Create Final Electronic Shelter Database
Project OutcomesMay 2009 - The Pearl-Cohn High School students produced the first maps of the locations of Nashville’s Red Cross Emergency Shelters. Prior to this project, no such maps existed.
May 2009 - Red Cross Emergency Shelters mapping project reveals that the 37208 zip code area is underserved in terms of emergency shelter availability.
May 2009 -- Each Pearl-Cohn High School student and their teacher, Mrs. Debbie Hirsch, was presented a volunteer award certificate by the Nashville Chapter of the American Red Cross
Acknowledgements
Debbie Hirsch (Technology Teacher), Bev Jacobs (Imagine College Director) and Marva Woods (Principal) – Pearl-Cohn Business Magnet High School
State Farm Insurance Company
The American Red Cross – Nashville Chapter
Environmental Systems Research Institute
The TSU Pilot Center for Academic Excellence in Intelligence Studies
All students enrolled in Mrs. Debbie Hirsch’s Technology Class during the 2008-2009 academic year
All students enrolled in Dr. David A. Padgett’s Weather & Climate (GEOG 3500) and Urban Geography (GEOG 4850) during the 2008-2009 academic year
Nashville, Tennessee – Flood of 2010 – May 1-3
May of 2010 worst flooding in 140 years500-1000 year flooding17 inches of rain in 2 days
Cumberland River crested at 52 feet12 ft above the flood stage
Release of water by the Army Corps of EngineersProtect critical structuresPotentially increased flooding
$2 Billion in damages
More than 10,000 people displaced
St. Paul AME Church serves as an impromptu emergency shelter during the May 2010 flood.
Identify susceptible populations that may be less able to respond, cope and/ or recover from a hazardous event
Vulnerable populations: Higher risk of living in hazard zones, of living
and working in dwellings that are less hazard resistant
Less likely to have had exposure to emergency or recovery preparedness interventions and have lower rates of post-disaster interventions
These factors increase the risk of injury, death, property damage and psychosocial upheaval
28 variables obtained from the Census Bureau 2010- 5 year estimates from the American
Community Survey (1 variable from the 2010 SF1)Tract Level- small statistical subdivisions of a
County2,500-8,000 people
Variables placed in a modified social vulnerability analysis to create an index score for each tractMost widely used in method in vulnerability
assessments for GIS analysis
Social vulnerability scores used to create maps ARC GIS 9.3.1. From the mapped data the relationship
between shelters, tracts and the underlying population were determined.
Straight line measurements were taken in ARC measuring the distance from the flood layer to the shelters.
Comparisons between the least and most vulnerable communities were determined based on standard deviations from the meanMost vulnerable standard deviation > +1.5 Least vulnerable standard deviation <-1.5.
Population 3,120 people
46% identified as Hispanic or Latino
More than 45% of the population had less than a high school education
28% reported having no transportation
87% reported that they rented rather than owned their homes.
Most socially vulnerable tractsMore than 70% racial/ethnic minority (v. < 12%)
Rates of poverty and lack of a high school education 8x higher
On average earned at least $47,000 less
Unemployment rates that were 4.5x higher
Median Household value $300,000 less
4 times more likely to not own a personal automobile
14 times less likely to speak English proficiently.
Highest proportion of shelters located in communities with moderate social vulnerability
6 shelters in least socially vulnerable communitiesDistributed in 3 tractsEvacuation capacity 19.24%
2 shelters in most socially vulnerable communitiesLocated in the same tractEvacuation capacity 0.32%
Communities with moderate to high levels of social vulnerability seemed more likely to be in the path of the flood
No shelters in the most vulnerable tractNearest shelter 0.4 mi0.07 mi from flood layer
Targeted culturally sensitive, disaster preparedness education of vulnerable communities FBO’s can be leveraged as partners in the education
processLiterature, announcements and other information
should be distributed in at least English and Spanish Plans will also need to address evacuation possibilities
for those without transportation and special needsConsider a local registry of those who may require
evacuation assistanceIncreased initiatives to decrease the socio-
demographic gap in the county to make communities less socially vulnerable
Affordable flood insurance and flood insurance educationLess than 4,000 homes had flood insurance
prior to the 2010 Floods though more than 15,000 parcels were known to be in the 100 year flood plain
Re-investment in current housing stock of vulnerable communitiesDisproportionate proportion of wealth tied to
housing in minority communitiesHazard Mitigation Grant Buyout ProgramPilot housing development projects
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