Climate Disasters

81% of Southerners (and 71% of non-Southerners) live in counties that have experienced at least one FEMA-declared disaster since 2020.

Number of FEMA disaster declarations by county

Jan 1, 2020 - Jan 13, 2024

Source: FEMA. Notes: Includes all county-level disaster declarations (except Covid). For example: Dam/levee breaks, droughts, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, landslides, severe storms, tornadoes, and water crises.

Southerners have borne the brunt of climate disasters since 2020, with 81% of Southerners living in a county that had a disaster, compared to 71% of non-Southerners. In 7 of 12 Southern states (AL, AR, FL, LA, MS, NC, and SC), 100% of the population live in a county that has experienced a disaster during this time frame. In Louisiana, every county (parish) has experienced 12 or more FEMA-declared disasters since 2020.

Marginalized populations, including rural communities and people of color, often experience the worst impacts because they are more likely to live in areas susceptible to extreme weather.¹ Although federal spending on disaster relief has more than doubled since 2020 compared to 2017 through 2019, the time- and document-intensive FEMA application process has been shown to actually increase inequity because it is too burdensome for smaller/rural municipalities and people with low-incomes.^2,[3] Moreover, the supply of housing decreases, while housing costs, including insurance, rise in the aftermath of disasters (Flood Insurance, Unaffordable Housing).^[4]

Hurricanes and other weather events often have heat-related health impacts, as response and recovery efforts include strenuous work in high temperatures — often without access to air conditioning. Some volunteers and residents have died in affected counties as a result of the arduous work in hot weather.^[5]

1. SAMHSA. (2017). SAMHSA Disaster Technical Assistance Center Supplemental Research Bulletin Greater Impact: How Disasters Affect People of Low Socioeconomic Status. SAMHSA. https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/dtac/srb-low-ses_2.pdf

2. USAspending.gov. (n.d.). Www.usaspending.gov. https://www.usaspending.gov/federal_account/070-0702

3. Howell, J., & Elliott, J. R. (2018). As Disaster Costs Rise, So Does Inequality. Socius, 4. https://doi.org/10.1177/2378023118816795

4. Dillon-Merrill, R., Ge, L., & Gete, P. (2018). Natural Disasters and Housing Markets. The Tenure Choice Channel. We appreciate the comments of Sandeep Dahiya. https://www.aeaweb.org/conference/2019/preliminary/paper/YZ56fSb6

5. LDH: Hurricane Ida storm-related death toll rises to 26. (2021, September 8). Ldh.la.gov; Louisiana Department of Health. https://ldh.la.gov/news/6308