Flood Risk and Indigenous Coping Capacity in Coastal Virginia

Flooding, particularly in coastal areas, poses significant risks to both communities and ecosystems, with climate change exacerbating these issues. Indigenous communities, including those along the East Coast of the United States, face increased vulnerability to flooding due to a combination of socio-economic, environmental, and historical factors. While existing studies have focused on flood risk and vulnerability, the unique social, cultural, and environmental contexts that may influence Indigenous communities’ responses to flooding remain largely unaddressed. Furthermore, few existing studies have examined the coping capacity (i.e., the short-term ability to survive in hazardous conditions) of Indigenous communities in flood-prone regions. This research aims to address this gap by developing a coping capacity index designed for Indigenous communities in Coastal Virginia. Regional and context specific indicators were selected with Principal Components Analysis (PCA) used as an objective weighting method. A Coping Capacity Index was generated for tracts and federally recognized Indigenous groups in Coastal Virginia. The Coping Capacity indices revealed disparities between Indigenous groups and the surrounding Census tracts, with Indigenous groups having lower coping capacities (i.e., increased vulnerability to flooding). Financial and housing data were key indicators of vulnerability, thus improving our understanding of what factors may influence Indigenous communities’ responses to flooding. These findings provide insights which may guide further research and flood hazard mitigation strategies to improve resiliency in coastal communities.