Coastal Services Center

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Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Steps Societal Analysis

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Extended Discussion | Interact with Data | Print Version

Why would I do this analysis?

Societal vulnerability analyses can help you identify potential areas of special needs populations. Such areas often contain higher concentrations of low-to-moderate income households that would most likely require public assistance and services to recover from disaster impacts. Yet another potential societal concern would be areas with a high concentration of non-English-speaking residents.

Preparedness materials and/or official advisories issued by emergency officials (e.g., hurricane evacuations) may need to be customized so that all residents can understand them. A societal vulnerability analysis could help you identify areas in which to concentrate your outreach efforts. The primary purpose for defining these special consideration areas in a vulnerability assessment is to identify locations for targeting effective hazard mitigation strategies.

Read the extended discussion for detailed information on the societal analysis.

Give me an example of something I might do in this analysis.

Using data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau (or data from some other study of population demographics — again, local data are preferable), you analyze your population to determine potential vulnerabilities. For example, through your analyses, you identify areas containing high concentrations of minority populations. These may represent areas where cultural considerations or foreign language interpreters may be necessary for public service announcements regarding evacuation, sheltering, and recovery operations. City and/or county officials may choose to develop a targeted campaign to distribute culturally relevant awareness materials to help these individuals better navigate the pre- and post-disaster environment.

What are my steps?

1. Locate, gather and process data
2. Assign scores to special consideration areas (higher rankings should indicate higher risk or higher potential vulnerability)
3. Identify vulnerable locations (areas with highest scores)
4. Focus your assessment and mitigation activities on areas containing the highest vulnerability

What data will I need?

Detailed (block or block group) community demographics (most of this information, listed below, can be found in one dataset)

• Poverty
• Elderly
• Minorities
• Single-Parent Households
• Rental Dwellings
• No High School Diplomas
• Public Assistance Recipients
• Non-English Speaking Populations
• No Vehicle Available
• Transient Populations

Where can I obtain these data and information?

Every ten years, the U.S. Census Bureau collects and publishes detailed demographic data down to the block level. New data are typically released two years following each study analysis period. In addition to Census data, local officials may be able to provide even more detailed demographic data and information that can help identify special consideration areas located within their area of responsibility. Even if digital (GIS) data are not available beyond Census data, it is still possible to complete an analysis using transparencies overlaid on paper maps.

Who do I need to work with? What agencies can help me locate the necessary data and information?

To access many of these governmental and organizational Web sites, view the Links page. A complete list of agencies and stakeholders is also available.

Local (county or municipality level) — City/County Administration, Planning, Emergency Management, and others.

Regional (state level) — Emergency Management, non-governmental organizations, and others.

National (federal level) — U.S. Census, U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, FEMA, Social Security Administration, Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) Tiger^® Census data, and others.

Interact with the Data

Follow this link to view and interact with data pertaining to the Societal Analysis.

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