Study examines why blacks did not leave New Orleans

USC study examines why African Americans
did not evacuate in the face of Hurricane Katrina

Posted 04/05/2007

Confusing directions from authorities, perceived racism and faith they could ride out the storm were cited by many African Americans as reasons for not evacuating New Orleans in the face of Hurricane Katrina, according to a study by the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health.

The study, which appears online in the First Look section of the American Journal of Public Health, is based on focus groups of black New Orleans residents who were evacuated to Columbia, S.C. following the Aug. 29, 2006 storm, the costliest and one of the deadliest in U.S. history.

The study also concluded that “culturally sensitive logistical planning for the evacuation of minority, low-income and underserved communities” is vital for all future disaster preparedness planning.

Underscoring the need for better planning is the prediction that hurricanes and their severity are expected to increase in the years ahead, the study reported.

According to the authors, the study is believed to be the first to examine the interaction of personal and social factors in African Americans’ evacuation. Dr. Keith Elder was principal investigator of the study. Others included Dr. Sudha Xirasagar, Dr. Nancy Miller, Shelly Ann Bowen, Dr. Saundra Glover and Crystal Piper.

In addition to better preparedness plans, the study noted: "It is very important as well that the perception of race-based inequities be explored in depth, to understand their contribution to the disproportionate casualties and suffering experienced by minorities in emergencies such as that created by Hurricane Katrina."

The idea is to avoid a repeat of Katrina where most of those seeking shelter from the storm were black, as were three-fourths of the 2,300 reported missing and a majority of the 668 reported dead in the State of Louisiana. The damage toll from the storm was $81.2 billion.

SIX GROUPS INTERVIEWED

The study involved six focus groups with 53 African American who were evacuated to Columbia within two months of the storm.

Participants said among the reasons they did not evacuate were: they had successfully ridden out a hurricane in the past, they had no money for gasoline to leave the city, they were afraid to leave their homes and have their valuables stolen, and they had a fear that police would stop them if they tried to leave.

Many residents said their religious faith gave them confidence they could survive the storm. Additionally, experience with riding out other storms was reflected in comments such as “If I survived Hurricane Betsy, I can survive that one too. We all ride the hurricanes, you know.”

Other residents said they had no money to pay for gasoline because it was late in the month. “The hurricane came at the wrong time. We were waiting for our payday,” one participant said.

The study reported that all focus groups reported dissatisfaction with the government because of its perceived apathy toward low-income African Americans.

Successive city administrations were criticized because of their tolerance of obsolete drainage systems and levies bordering the lower Ninth Ward where most of the participants resided.

“Our streets have always overflowed with water and stuff from the sewer after big storms,” one resident reported.

“The people in the lower Ninth Ward, who were so severely affected by the storm, believed that they had to look out for themselves and could survive the storm as they had done for many years,” he said. “Evacuees also said that there was confusion about the severity of the hurricane because of conflicting evacuation orders from the mayor and the governor. When evacuation orders came, it was too late for many people to leave.”

Dr. Xirasagar said federal, state and local emergency-management agencies must develop preparedness plans that address the needs of minority and low-income people, including plans that include timely evacuation orders, maps that clearly identify evacuation routes and vouchers or cash for gasoline and other essential items.

“Planning must adequately address the needs of under-served communities,” Xirasagar said. “What happened to the residents in New Orleans could happen to people in many coastal areas of the United States.”

SIMILARITIES TO CHARLESTON, SC

In fact, Charleston, S.C., isn’t that different from New Orleans, Elder said.

“Charleston ranks high in its vulnerability,” Elder said. “You have a large number of minorities, many of whom are elderly, live in poverty or have less education. They clearly are at risk if a hurricane threatens the coast.”

The AJPH report is timely, Xirasagar said, given the recent predictions that the 2007 hurricane season will have more storms than 2006.

“This is the time for everyone to examine their disaster plans and make arrangements for those who are most vulnerable,” Xirasagar said.

Additional study also is needed, Elder said, to examine what “receiving cities” can do to assist people when they are evacuated.

“In Columbia, for example, evacuees said that the transition was much easier than they imagined,” he said. “We need to look at the needs of the receiving cities and know what went right for those who had positive experiences. This is valuable information for future disasters.”

Publication of the study in the AJPH will expose it to a wide audience of public health professionals, but Elder and Xirasagar hope to brief the public and key South Carolina officials on their finding.

Xirasagar, who briefed Columbia Mayor Bob Coble on the study, said Coble indicated he would like to host a public meeting of key disaster preparedness stakeholders such as the Department of Health and Environmental Control, the Red Cross and others.

The study is entitled: Why African Americans Did Not Evacuate Before Hurricane Katrina: A Qualitative Study of Evacuees from New Orleans. Subscribers to the American Journal of Public Health can read the study online at the First Look section of the journal's website.