Influence of geographical residence on perceived community resilience between people of color and white individuals following Hurricane Harvey

Objective The objective of this study was to examine how individual-level factors (e.g., demographic variables) and community-level factors (e.g., median household income in the community, rates of residents living alone) are associated with perceived community resilience following Hurricane Harvey. Considering the racial disparities following natural disasters, we individually examined this association among people of color and White individuals.Methods Total participants were 311 adults who reported physically residing in the area when Hurricane Harvey made landfall on August 26th, 2017. Data collection occurred approximately 16 months after the hurricane to capture their perception of the community following the hurricane.Results Among people of color, no individual-level factors were associated with perceived community resilience, but those residing in areas with more people living alone and higher poverty rates were less likely to perceive community resilience. On the other hand, among White individuals, people with higher household income were more likely to perceive community resilience.Conclusion The current study highlights the potential importance of intervening at the community level, especially for POC residing in areas with more people living alone and higher poverty rates. This may reflect the increasing environmental injustice occurring in the U.S. targeting people of color and high-poverty communities.