Procedural Vulnerability and Its Effects on Equitable Post-Disaster Recovery in Low-Income Communities

Abstract

Problem, research strategy, and findings: Equity is a major goal in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. However, although extensive research demonstrates the connections between race/class and heightened vulnerability to disasters, few examine or name the mechanisms responsible for this correlation. Such mechanisms are referred to as procedural vulnerabilities or historical and ongoing power relations that lead to inequitable outcomes. We interrogate the role of procedural vulnerabilities in generating inequitable recovery by analyzing LUPE et al. v. FEMA (B:08-cv-487 [2008]). This legal case emerged from the experiences of colonia residents in the Río Grande Valley of South Texas following Hurricane Dolly in 2008. From this case, we found that, first, the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) unclear definitions of deferred maintenance and insufficient damages negatively affected low-income households. Second, even with clear definitions, post-disaster recovery and reconstruction outcomes would remain inequitable due to historic patterns of disinvestment in the colonias. Takeaway for practice: From this case, two key implications for planners emerge. First, planners must acknowledge the historic concerns facing low-income communities of color that lead to inequitable outcomes in FEMA funding. Unincorporated communities of color are less likely to be able to access strong environmental planning, placing them at higher risk of disaster. Second, local stigma surrounding communities can greatly influence the efficacy of post-disaster reconstruction and recovery by predetermining who is or is not “deserving” of assistance. Engaging local histories of racism and prejudice is key to addressing and redressing these inequities.