Residential Attitudes about Hurricanes on the Lone Star Coast 2010 APCG Meeting Coeur d Alene, Idaho September 17, 2010 Presented By: Bryant Evans Houston Community College
Residential Attitudes about Hurricanes on the Lone Star Coast I. Sites of Study: A. Galveston B. Port Aransas C. South Padre Island II. Hurricanes and the Texas Gulf Coast III. Resident Perceptions along the Texas Gulf Coast IV. Conclusions Source: theodora.com
Galveston, Texas Incorporated: 1839 Population (2008 est.): 58,329 Location: Situated on a barrier island approximately 50 miles southeast of Houston Source of map: CNN Character: One of Texas most storied and historic cities Adversity: Home to the worst natural disaster in US history in 1900 Galveston s Famous Seawall
Port Aransas, Texas Population (2008 est.): 3,842 Location: On a barrier island approximately 25 miles northeast of Corpus Christi Source: Homeaway.com Character: A regional family and fishing resort town Historic Hurricane Events: Major events in 1916, 1919, and 1970 (Celia) View of a Port Aransas Neighborhood
South Padre Island, Texas Incorporated: 1973 Population (2008 est.): 2,837 Map Source: Buddin.com Location: On a barrier island towards the southern tip of Texas, 18 miles northeast of Brownsville Character: A beach resort community; famous Spring Break locale Historic Hurricane Events: 1967 (Beulah), 1980 (Allen), 2008 (Dolly) In South Padre after Hurricane Dolly in 2008
Hurricanes and the Texas Gulf Coast Hurricane Strikes 1851-2006 on the mainland U.S. coastline Cat 1 Cat 2 Cat 3 Cat 4 Cat 5 All Major Texas 23 18 12 7 0 60 19 (North) 12 7 3 4 0 26 7 (Central) 7 5 2 2 0 16 4 (South) 7 7 7 1 0 22 8 Source: National Hurricane Center Last Direct hit and mean return period for hurricane Return Period Return Period Major Hurricane for Hurricane Most Recent Galveston 18 years 7 years 2008 (2) Ike Port Aransas 23 years 11 years 1971 (1) Fern South Padre 25 years 11 years 2008 (2) Dolly Hurricane Rita Source: NASA Aqua Satellite Image, 9/23/05
Hurricane Perceptions: Survey Results Survey questions centered on themes of: Historical influence of hurricanes Residential perceptions of hurricanes Evacuation and Preparation Strategies
On a 1-10 scale, to what extent do you believe that hurricanes have influenced the course of your community s history? Dramatic Influence Scale No influence Number of respondents Source: 2008 Hurricane Perception Survey ; N=190
Contemporary Hurricane Perceptions Residents of the three communities were asked what their first word association with hurricanes was Interestingly, survey results yielded a distinctive top response from each community. South Padre s most cited response: Wind Port Aransas most cited response: Destruction Galveston s most cited response: Evacuate
Perception of Future Hurricanes in Texas Hurricane Ike Satellite Image Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration On a 1-10 scale, what are the chances that your community will be directly impacted by a hurricane? Source: 2008 Hurricane Perception Survey; N=189
Evacuation Port Aransas and South Padre 60 53 Evacuated in Past? Port Aransas - good evacuation plan? Number of respondents 50 40 30 20 10 0 Yes 40 16 No 19 Port Aransas South Padre 29% 6% 22% 8% 65% 70% Yes No South Padre - good evacuation plan? Not Sure Yes No Not Sure Source: 2008 Hurricane Perception Survey
Evacuation - Galveston Number of respondents Source: 2008 Hurricane Perception Survey
Future Evacuations Very likely Scale Not likely On a scale of 1-10, what is the likelihood that you would evacuate if you became aware that a hurricane was heading directly towards your community? Source: 2008 Hurricane Perception Survey; N=191
Preparation Strategies The importance of situation Galveston s location near Houston an important factor Coordination of evacuation strategies consistently mentioned Port Aransas modes of access appears influential Primary way to cross over to Port A now is via ferry South Padre Island s access to mainland a key Desire by some to have a 2nd bridge for connection to mainland
Concluding Thoughts Galvestonian survey respondents tended to be keenly aware of hurricane history and impacts on the island. This acute self-awareness and perception of place does not appear to always translate into action (i.e. evacuating) when the community is impacted by hurricanes. Port Aransas and South Padre respondents appear to be well-aware of their communities potential for being impacted by hurricanes in the future. A striking quote to conclude with: It makes one realize that everyday is a gift, and that attachment to material things is low on the importance scale. Nature has a mind of its own and we should give it a tad bit more respect. Galveston hurricane survey respondent (2008)