Extreme Weather Disruptions and Emergency Preparedness Among Older Adults in Ohio: An Eight-County Assessment

Smitha Rao; Fiona C. Doherty; Anthony Traver; Marisa Sheldon; Emma Sakulich; Holly Dabelko-Schoeny

doi:10.1007/s13753-024-00548-8

Volume 15 Issue 2

Apr. 2024

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Article Navigation > International Journal of Disaster Risk Science > 2024 > 15(2): 213-225

Smitha Rao, Fiona C. Doherty, Anthony Traver, Marisa Sheldon, Emma Sakulich, Holly Dabelko-Schoeny. Extreme Weather Disruptions and Emergency Preparedness Among Older Adults in Ohio: An Eight-County Assessment[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2024, 15(2): 213-225. doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00548-8

Citation:

Smitha Rao, Fiona C. Doherty, Anthony Traver, Marisa Sheldon, Emma Sakulich, Holly Dabelko-Schoeny. Extreme Weather Disruptions and Emergency Preparedness Among Older Adults in Ohio: An Eight-County Assessment[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2024, 15(2): 213-225. doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00548-8

Citation:

Smitha Rao, Fiona C. Doherty, Anthony Traver, Marisa Sheldon, Emma Sakulich, Holly Dabelko-Schoeny. Extreme Weather Disruptions and Emergency Preparedness Among Older Adults in Ohio: An Eight-County Assessment[J]. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 2024, 15(2): 213-225. doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00548-8

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Extreme Weather Disruptions and Emergency Preparedness Among Older Adults in Ohio: An Eight-County Assessment

doi: 10.1007/s13753-024-00548-8

1. College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA;
2. Age Friendly Innovation Center, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA;
3. College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

Accepted Date: 2024-02-29

Available Online: 2024-10-26

Publish Date: 2024-04-04

Abstract

Abstract

The disproportionate risks and impacts of climate change and extreme weather on older adults are increasingly evident. While especially true in disaster-prone areas, human-caused climate change introduces an element of uncertainty even in previously identified “safe” regions such as the Midwestern United States. Using a cumulative disadvantage and vulnerability-informed framework and descriptive statistics from multiple data sources, this article provides an overview of climate impacts, vulnerabilities, and county-level characteristics, focusing on older adults living in Central Ohio. A comparative multiple-case study methodology was used to triangulate regionally representative primary and secondary data sources to examine state and county-level measures of vulnerability, emergency preparedness, and disruptions caused by extreme weather among older adults across eight counties in Central Ohio. Seventy-eight percent of older adults in the sample reported being prepared for emergencies per Federal Emergency Management Agency guidelines. Older adults in Union County reported the highest rates of preparedness, while those in Fayette County reported the lowest. County-level rates of disruption of life activities by extreme weather ranged widely. Among the most rural in the region, Fayette County emerged as uniquely disadvantaged, with the lowest median income, the most vulnerable across multiple social vulnerability dimensions, and the most reported disruptions to life activities from extreme weather. County profiles offer a snapshot of existing vulnerabilities, socioeconomic conditions, special needs, preparedness, and current disruptions among older adults in the region and can inform resource mobilization across community and policy contexts.
- Disaster preparedness,
- Extreme weather,
- Midwestern United States,
- Older adults,
- Regional assessment,
- Social vulnerability

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References(51)

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