Rising sea levels resulting from human-caused climate change and the subsequent increase in flooding pose an immense risk to coastal communities. Despite an increase in the frequency of these flooding events, the population in these areas has not decreased — instead, it appears to have remained stable or even increased in some places. "Run from water" is the advice given to residents when faced with a hurricane or other extreme flooding events; however, population trends do not correlate with this advice.
While overall population trends are clear, additional research is needed regarding the differences in these population trends within various income demographics, ultimately prompting the question: Do the most vulnerable populations live in the most vulnerable areas?
Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping technology, this project maps population trends in response to flooding within Harris County's Special Flood Hazard Areas. It utilizes a combination of data from the American Community Survey, Harris County Appraisal District, and FEMA "Harvey Damage Assessments and Claims."
While the original hypothesis stated that more vulnerable populations do indeed live in the most flood-prone areas, preliminary research findings suggest that this is not necessarily the case, as higher-income communities remain prevalent in Special Flood Hazard Areas. Consequently, this paper argues that income level greatly impacts a community's disaster resiliency in equally climate-vulnerable areas.