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Long-term Recovery From Hurricane Sandy: Evidence From a Survey in New York City

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 August 2017

Elisaveta P. Petkova*
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
Jaishree Beedasy
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
Eun Jeong Oh
Affiliation:
Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, New York
Jonathan J. Sury
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
Erin M. Sehnert
Affiliation:
National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Earth Institute, Columbia University, New York, New York
Wei-Yann Tsai
Affiliation:
Mailman School of Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, Columbia University, New York, New York
Michael J. Reilly
Affiliation:
Center for Disaster Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to Elisaveta P. Petkova, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Earth Institute, Columbia University, 215 West 125th Street, Suite 303, New York, NY, 10027 (e-mail: [email protected]).

Abstract

Objectives

This study aimed to examine a range of factors influencing the long-term recovery of New York City residents affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Methods

In a series of logistic regressions, we analyzed data from a survey of New York City residents to assess self-reported recovery status from Hurricane Sandy.

Results

General health, displacement from home, and household income had substantial influences on recovery. Individuals with excellent or fair health were more likely to have recovered than were individuals with poor health. Those with high and middle income were more likely to have recovered than were those with low income. Also, individuals who had not experienced a decrease in household income following Hurricane Sandy had higher odds of recovery than the odds for those with decreased income. Additionally, displacement from the home decreased the odds of recovery. Individuals who applied for assistance from the Build it Back program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency had lower odds of recovering than did those who did not apply.

Conclusions

The study outlines the critical importance of health and socioeconomic factors in long-term disaster recovery and highlights the need for increased consideration of those factors in post-disaster interventions and recovery monitoring. More research is needed to assess the effectiveness of state and federal assistance programs, particularly among disadvantaged populations. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:172–175)

Type
Brief Reports
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2017 

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