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Environmental Racism in Natural Disaster Response in the United States of America

Environmental racism has historical roots within the United States, but can be visible through the events of natural disasters. The issues of environmental justice and racism often intersect with other social systemic issues. These roots can be connected to segregation policies such as redlining, as well as other forms of systemic discrimination within American society. Unequal access to transportation, wealth, job opportunities, safe housing, location to other environmental hazards among different racial and class groups contribute to these problems. The communities that generally support the brunt of damages, displacements, and other outcomes following natural disasters tend to be overwhelmingly African-American and low-income communities. These communities, due to systemic oppression and lack of accessibility, often are unable to manage financial emergencies. . In cases of hurricane preparation, most often, these communities are most susceptible to living on flood prone or otherwise riskier lands (Misra, 2017). These communities are more likely to not have access to means of evacuation for one reason or another than their higher-income, white counterparts. Environmental disasters are not entirely preventable or predictable, but the patterns of devastation and rebuilding are based on the societal standards and policies in place. These disasters occur without prejudice and discrimination, but the infrastructure in place leaves marginalized or vulnerable communities with a different reality for recovery.

Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans (2005)

The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina displaced more than one million people. African American communities were twice as likely as their white counterparts to face long term damage as a result of the storm. A lack of community resources and unsuccessful advocacy left New Orleans’ African-American population smaller than before the disaster. Despite their size, a lack of resource availability and low political capital lead to the continued displacement of these residents. Following the storm, some residents were able to eventually move back to the town, but many have stayed away for varying reasons, such as a lack of affordable housing in their previous neighborhoods, inability to afford remodeling or rebuilding homes to comply with post-Katrina regulations, high rent costs, as well as job or other opportunities elsewhere. The government response to the storm was met with high critiques at all levels. Local leadership designated the New Orleans Superdome as a congregation area for those unable to evacuate the city, accepting approximately 25,000 people with limited supplies. No other plans were implemented for other community members, and low-income or disabled people stuck at home without access to transportation had nowhere else to go. President George W. Bush faced many critiques during and following the storm, including a lack of preparedness for such natural disasters, a breakdown in federal communication to local governments, lack of adequate supplies to meet the disaster, and indecision in deploying response in the aftermath. Congress appropriated over $11 billion dollars towards Katrina reconstruction in Louisiana and Mississippi; The largest portion of this funding went towards rebuilding the community directly, prioritizing programs for housing, economic development, and community revitalization. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) then demolished four of the city’s largest public housing complexes for development rather than repairing them following the storm, further impacting the ability of low-income residents to recover.