Predictions that this hurricane season will be one for the record books have already been borne out by Beryl, the strongest storm ever to blow ashore so early in the season. An above-normal number of hurricanes is expected this year, with forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showing between eight and 13 named storms will reach hurricane status.
Climate change is increasing the number and intensity of weather hazards and the destruction they leave in their wake. However, climate-fueled storms, floods and heat waves only become disasters when infrastructure is insufficient to protect those weathering these events. Disasters are a result of a lack of investment and neglect, as well as poor planning and decisions that are often decades in the making. In that sense, there are no natural disasters; they are all human made.
Beryl was just a Category 1 hurricane by the time it reached Houston — a city known to be prone to hurricanes — but became a disaster when millions of residents lost their electricity due to an avoidable power outage that left them sweltering in the heat for as long as a week.
Growing up in the Midwest, I saw firsthand what a difference infrastructure makes in the face of a storm. My family lived in a sturdily built brick apartment building neighboring a trailer park. When a cyclone hit, it devastated the mobile homes right next door but left our building unscathed.
As philanthropists, we need to change the way we think about the impacts of weather hazards and how we respond to weather-related vulnerabilities in terms of infrastructure preparedness, especially as those risks continue to increase with climate change.
In it for the long term
While most resources pour into communities in reaction to major weather-related events, those investments are often short lived, as our attention quickly turns to the next disaster. In fact, a report by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Candid found that 51% of donor dollars go to response and relief efforts, while only 6% are dedicated to recovery and reconstruction, and a mere 4% support resilience efforts.
We must also show up for communities repeatedly impacted by “low-attention” weather events, like floods and tornadoes, that can inflict significant damage on smaller, rural populations, but don’t draw the media coverage or philanthropic dollars that “named” storms do.
Disparities create disasters
Any philanthropic commitment to address weather-related disasters must reflect the fact that while Mother Nature is indiscriminate about where a storm will strike, extreme weather events do not harm people equally. They exploit existing vulnerabilities, disproportionately affecting underserved and marginalized populations of people who live in substandard housing, are more likely to be exposed to environmental hazards, and often lack access to adequate food and medical care.
Some 40% of the U.S. population resides in coastline counties that are in the direct path of named and unnamed storms, and prone to frequent floods from sea-level rise. Almost 1 in 4 of those residents are considered socially vulnerable and least able to withstand the adverse impacts of weather hazards.
Black Americans are disproportionately exposed to extreme weather events, with approximately half of them living in eleven southeastern states with high risk of severe heat, hurricanes and flooding. Low-income individuals and people of color are also most at risk for the serious health and fatal consequences of heat waves, which are the leading cause of weather-related deaths.
Rural communities are especially susceptible to weather-related vulnerabilities — like those in my home state of Kentucky, which has experienced devastating floods and tornadoes in the past few years. Their smaller economies, lower-income populations and fewer support organizations limit their capacity to prepare for, respond to and recover from these events.
Health inequities are exacerbated by failing infrastructure that leads to disasters, disproportionately harming the physical and mental health of already vulnerable individuals. Low-income people live with higher rates of chronic disease, which puts them at greater risk when living conditions deteriorate and they are unable to access necessary medications and medical care. They also suffer more severely from the mental health effects of the disaster, including anxiety, depression and PTSD, which can linger for years after the initial crisis.
Displacement from homes and neighborhoods, which frequently occurs in the wake of a disaster, can compound mental and emotional distress, further isolating individuals from their support systems and social networks.
It takes listening and collaboration
Rebuilding for resilience can take years, especially when addressing the weather-related vulnerabilities, structural disparities and health inequities that caused the disaster. We are talking about the need to repair major system deficiencies. For instance, creating an adequate healthcare infrastructure does not only require accessible medical care. It means ensuring people have access to affordable healthy food, housing, a safe environment, educational and work opportunities, and reliable transportation.
These are huge undertakings that depend on long-term investments and collaboration on many levels — with other funders, government agencies, industry, and, most importantly, with community organizations and leaders, whose voices should be most prominent in these planning discussions. Members of the community, who have lived through the crisis and understand their community’s vulnerabilities, are the ones we need to listen to most closely when investing in relief and rebuilding efforts.
As climate change expands the range and severity of weather hazards, funders will need to shift to a more preventative, rather than reactive, mode. By identifying both the areas of the country that are prone to extreme weather events and the most vulnerable communities, funders can establish relationships with locally based partners in advance of a crisis to begin addressing the infrastructure disparities that put the lives and health of residents at risk. Those existing partnerships also increase our understanding of the community’s needs so we can respond quickly and effectively with necessary resources in the event of a weather hazard.
It’s time to reframe our understanding of “natural disasters” as human-made infrastructure deficiencies and health inequities that make low-income populations and people of color vulnerable to weather-related events. As we face escalating impacts of climate change, rather than reacting to catastrophic events, the way forward is proactively building resilient communities for populations most at risk. By listening to those whose health and lives we are working to improve, forming strong partnerships and investing for the long term, we can help communities weather the impacts of ever-increasing climate challenges.
Tiffany Benjamin is CEO of the Humana Foundation where she leads health equity and disaster philanthropy initiatives. She also serves as Board Chair of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
