Diverging equity implications of FEMA disaster aid received by counties in Gulf coast states

Climate change disproportionately impacts marginalized communities, but we also need to understand how addressing these impacts might exacerbate existing inequalities. Exploring how generic structural socioeconomic and political inequalities relate to responses to specific climate-driven hazards can help inform efforts to address climate-driven risks without reinforcing inequalities. This study sheds light on the relationship between generic capitals that local governance systems might draw on to reduce risks and a specific outcome that reduces the impact of climate-driven risks. We explore patterns in the amount of aid counties in the five Gulf States (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) received from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Public Assistance Program from 2000 to 2020. Using linear regressions, we explore how the amount of aid these counties received relates to the presence of five dimensions of potential generic capitals (social, economic, political, human, and environmental) at the county-level. We found evidence that patterns in the distribution of aid were consistent with simultaneously both reducing and amplifying existing inequalities – e.g., counties with higher levels of individual poverty and more rural residents received more aid while counties with higher percentages of Black and Hispanic residents received less. At the same time, we found evidence that aid received might be particularly low for populations vulnerable due to both racial/ethnic inequities and lack of access to services located in more urbanized areas. These results highlight the need for assessments exploring the multidimensional nature of equity to prevent efforts to address climate-related risks further marginalizing those left behind.