Weathering the Storm: A Comparison of Regional Preparedness in the U.S.

Nicholas Baez

Co-Presenters: Daniel Kruppenabcher, Jessica Dos Santos

College: College of Liberal Arts

Major: BA.ENGLISH

Faculty Research Mentor: Christina Mastroeni

Abstract:

The way communities respond to extreme weather events is unique to each area. What may be normal for one place might be unthinkable in another. This became extremely apparent to those paying attention to other locales during the recent winter storm of a few weeks ago. Pictures of people raiding supermarkets and Home Depot for food and snow shovels quickly began to populate internet forums. People in the south showed serious concern, citing storms of the past and other experiences. Was this a constant sight across the country or was the panic more localized to specific geological locals? Are states urgent, what are the types of tips people are giving to each other? We are hoping to find a proper or professional response from each state. We will be classifying each state/region’s reaction into three categories. Panic, indifferent, or prepared. Panicked states would earn this classification if their citizens and state showed a lack of preparedness or experience dealing with extreme winter storms. Regions will be classified as Indifferent/underestimating if they are treating the storm like any other day but not taking into account the severity of the storm. Regions will be classified as prepared if the state government provides citizens with a sufficiently detailed plan of action, follow through with that plan of action, and if general populace remained calm or unbothered with the storm. We will provide a solution for each area of interest depending on their responses to the weather.