Hurricanes, floods, and environmental inequality

This chapter introduces conceptual and methodological considerations associated with environmental inequality (EI) research on water-based hazards, and examines case studies on the EI implications of flooding in the Greater Houston metropolitan area, Texas—one of the most socio-demographically diverse US urban areas that is highly vulnerable to hurricanes and flooding. It begins with an overview of theoretical and methodological issues related to EI analysis of natural disasters, pre-disaster risks, post-disaster impacts, and combined effects of natural and technological (na-tech) hazards. This is followed by a review of EI studies on exposure to pre-flood risks, post-flood impacts, and na-tech hazards in Greater Houston. Our specific focus is on Hurricane Harvey, a Category 4 storm that made landfall in August 2017 and is considered to be the costliest tropical cyclone in the US in terms of overall damage. We conclude by summarizing findings from previous EI studies on hurricanes and floods, and identifying future research directions.