Dr. David A. Padgett Director

Geographic Information Sciences Laboratory

Tennessee State University

Ms. Nia Foderingham BS, MBA, MSPH, MD

Meharry Medical College

Geographic Information Systems-based Assessment of Urban Community Vulnerability

to Extreme Weather Events

Hurricane Katrina

New Orleans, Louisiana

August 29, 2005

Exposed inner-city populations’ increased

vulnerability to extreme weather

events.

Nashville’s 37208 Zip Code Area: A potentially vulnerable population

•Approximately 93% of the community is African American.

•Among the 9,945 occupied households in the area, 7.4% rely on public transportation as their way to work (the Nashville-Davidson County average is about 2.0%)

•16.5% have no vehicles available

•66% of residents live at or below the poverty level.

Source: U.S. Census

Mapping Nashville's Red Cross Emergency Shelters with Geospatial Technology: A Pearl-Cohn High School and TSU Community Engagement Partnership

Pearl Cohn High School

TSU Pilot Center for Academic Excellence in Intelligence Studies

TSU Geographic Information Sciences Laboratory

During the 2008-2009 academic year Tennessee State University (TSU) students enrolled in two service learning courses, Weather & Climate (GEOG 3500) and Urban Geography (GEOG 4850), exposed Pearl-Cohn High School students to data and information related to inner-city emergency preparedness and response.

The TSU volunteers assisted their Pearl-Cohn mentees in using geographical information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) to map locations of Nashville Red Cross emergency shelters.

The Pearl-Cohn students were enrolled in Mrs. Debbie Hirsch’s Technology Class. The project is funded by a State Farm Good Neighbor Service Learning Grant and supported in part by the TSU Pilot Center for Academic Excellence in Intelligence Studies.

TSU Weather & Climate (GEOG 3500) students introduce Pearl-Cohn High School students to the social and physical dynamics of hurricanes impacting the lives of vulnerable urban populations via the “Teaching the Levees” curriculum. The multi-disciplinary learning modules are based upon Spike Lee’s film “When the Levees Broke,” and is cost-free for teachers.

Pearl-Cohn High School students are trained in GIS by TSU undergraduate students using learning modules developed by the National Center for Rural STEM Education Outreach – James Madison University – http://www.isat.jmu.edu/stem/

Spring 2009 – Nashville Red Cross Shelters – “Raw Data”

Pearl Cohn Students Individually Create Excel Spreadsheets from Shelter List

Students’ Excel Spreadsheets Combined to Create Final Electronic Shelter Database

Project OutcomesMay 2009 - The Pearl-Cohn High School students produced the first maps of the locations of Nashville’s Red Cross Emergency Shelters. Prior to this project, no such maps existed.

May 2009 - Red Cross Emergency Shelters mapping project reveals that the 37208 zip code area is underserved in terms of emergency shelter availability.

May 2009 -- Each Pearl-Cohn High School student and their teacher, Mrs. Debbie Hirsch, was presented a volunteer award certificate by the Nashville Chapter of the American Red Cross

Acknowledgements

Debbie Hirsch (Technology Teacher), Bev Jacobs (Imagine College Director) and Marva Woods (Principal) – Pearl-Cohn Business Magnet High School

State Farm Insurance Company

The American Red Cross – Nashville Chapter

Environmental Systems Research Institute

The TSU Pilot Center for Academic Excellence in Intelligence Studies

All students enrolled in Mrs. Debbie Hirsch’s Technology Class during the 2008-2009 academic year

All students enrolled in Dr. David A. Padgett’s Weather & Climate (GEOG 3500) and Urban Geography (GEOG 4850) during the 2008-2009 academic year

Nashville, Tennessee – Flood of 2010 – May 1-3

May of 2010 worst flooding in 140 years500-1000 year flooding17 inches of rain in 2 days

Cumberland River crested at 52 feet12 ft above the flood stage

Release of water by the Army Corps of EngineersProtect critical structuresPotentially increased flooding

$2 Billion in damages

More than 10,000 people displaced

St. Paul AME Church serves as an impromptu emergency shelter during the May 2010 flood.

Identify susceptible populations that may be less able to respond, cope and/ or recover from a hazardous event

Vulnerable populations: Higher risk of living in hazard zones, of living

and working in dwellings that are less hazard resistant

Less likely to have had exposure to emergency or recovery preparedness interventions and have lower rates of post-disaster interventions

These factors increase the risk of injury, death, property damage and psychosocial upheaval

28 variables obtained from the Census Bureau 2010- 5 year estimates from the American

Community Survey (1 variable from the 2010 SF1)Tract Level- small statistical subdivisions of a

County2,500-8,000 people

Variables placed in a modified social vulnerability analysis to create an index score for each tractMost widely used in method in vulnerability

assessments for GIS analysis

Social vulnerability scores used to create maps ARC GIS 9.3.1. From the mapped data the relationship

between shelters, tracts and the underlying population were determined.

Straight line measurements were taken in ARC measuring the distance from the flood layer to the shelters.

Comparisons between the least and most vulnerable communities were determined based on standard deviations from the meanMost vulnerable standard deviation > +1.5 Least vulnerable standard deviation <-1.5.

Population 3,120 people

46% identified as Hispanic or Latino

More than 45% of the population had less than a high school education

28% reported having no transportation

87% reported that they rented rather than owned their homes.

Most socially vulnerable tractsMore than 70% racial/ethnic minority (v. < 12%)

Rates of poverty and lack of a high school education 8x higher

On average earned at least $47,000 less

Unemployment rates that were 4.5x higher

Median Household value $300,000 less

4 times more likely to not own a personal automobile

14 times less likely to speak English proficiently.

Highest proportion of shelters located in communities with moderate social vulnerability

6 shelters in least socially vulnerable communitiesDistributed in 3 tractsEvacuation capacity 19.24%

2 shelters in most socially vulnerable communitiesLocated in the same tractEvacuation capacity 0.32%

Communities with moderate to high levels of social vulnerability seemed more likely to be in the path of the flood

No shelters in the most vulnerable tractNearest shelter 0.4 mi0.07 mi from flood layer

Targeted culturally sensitive, disaster preparedness education of vulnerable communities FBO’s can be leveraged as partners in the education

processLiterature, announcements and other information

should be distributed in at least English and Spanish Plans will also need to address evacuation possibilities

for those without transportation and special needsConsider a local registry of those who may require

evacuation assistanceIncreased initiatives to decrease the socio-

demographic gap in the county to make communities less socially vulnerable

Affordable flood insurance and flood insurance educationLess than 4,000 homes had flood insurance

prior to the 2010 Floods though more than 15,000 parcels were known to be in the 100 year flood plain

Re-investment in current housing stock of vulnerable communitiesDisproportionate proportion of wealth tied to

housing in minority communitiesHazard Mitigation Grant Buyout ProgramPilot housing development projects