Assessing climate-driven storm impacts on geographically isolated communities and underserved vulnerable populations

This research examined emerging risks posed by increased storm frequency and intensity to high-latitude vulnerable communities previously unaccustomed to extratropical cyclonic events. The United Nations identified geographically isolated communities as marginalized or vulnerable groups. Four storms across the Atlantic and Pacific basins affecting five locations were selected and a comparative case study with cross-case analysis was used to identify key commonalities and differences in storm impacts, infrastructure resilience, and recovery efforts. A specific focus was to identify the disparate impacts on marginalized populations. Common issues included location accessibility challenges, failure in communications, and limited road infrastructure for logistic response and recovery capabilities.

Differences include frequency of tracked cyclones, storm surge risk based on distance from the shoreline to a safe elevation, utilities infrastructure, return of utilities/infrastructure, and viable food/water supplies. These findings indicate high-latitude geographically isolated communities have a greater risk profile due to the greater exposure to extratropical cyclones, which they were unaccustomed to and less prepared for, while increased storm surge risk placed additional strain on fragile infrastructure. Despite various laws and policies in place, the compounding effects of emerging risks, geographic isolation, limited infrastructure, and social vulnerability demonstrate and underscore the need for more targeted risk assessment and adaptive disaster response strategies to include the lack of culturally appropriate disaster preparedness, response, and recovery plans in marginalized Indigenous communities.