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Vulnerable Populations: Hurricane Katrina as a Case Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Richard M. Zoraster
Richard M. Zoraster*
Affiliation:
Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency, Los Angeles, California, USA
*
10100 Pioneer Blvd., Suite 200Santa Fe Springs, California 90670USA Email: rzoraster@ladhs.org
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Abstract

Mitigating disaster impact requires identifying risk factors. The increased vulnerability of the physically fragile is easily understood. Less obvious are the socio-economic risk factors, especially within relatively affluent societies. Hurricane Katrina demonstrated many of these risks within the United States.These factors include poverty, home ownership, poor English language proficiency, ethnic minorities, immigrant status, and high-density housing. These risk factors must be considered when planning for disaster preparation, mitigation, and response.

Keywords

accesshealth careHurricane Katrinapovertyrisksocioeconomic
Type
Comprehensive Review
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 25 , Issue 1 , February 2010 , pp. 74 - 78
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2010

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