People often think of disasters as great equalizers. After all, a tornado, wildfire or hurricane doesn't discriminate against those in its path. But the consequences for those affected are not 'one-size-fits-all.' Overall, the Census Bureau estimates that more than 4.3 million Americans had to leave their homes because of disasters in 2024, whether for a short period or much longer. It was the fourth-costliest year on record for disasters. However, a closer look at demographics in the survey reveals much more about disaster risk in America and who is vulnerable. It suggests, as researchers have also found, that people with the fewest resources, as well as those who have disabilities or have been marginalized, were more likely to be displaced from their homes by disasters than other people. Decades of disaster research, including from our team at the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center, make at least two things crystal clear: First, people's social circumstances ' such...
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